The Life of a Master
by Ice-Dice-Price
Summary: Ash Ketchum's life long dream of being a Pokémon Master is within reach. He's sacrificed his pride, his will, and his friends to get to this point. However, is this what Ash signed up for? He has no idea what a Pokémon Master does or is supposed to do? But he's about to find out.
1. Defeating The Master

**Hello fellow readers. This is my first story and it will be epic. Reviews are appreciated. Also, for thd first 6 or 7 chapters you will have the opportunity to create your own Pokémon for the story. Leave a description of your Pokémon in your reviews.**

"So, who are you and why have you come here?" The white-bearded man said as he took a sip of his coffee cup.

"I am Ash Ketchum. I am here for a battle."

"I see that Ash. By any chance do you happen to know what my name is?" The old man asked.

"Gold,"

"How did you know?"

"I didn't." Ash responded leaving Gold amused.

"How did you know I was on Mt. Silver?"

"I didn't. I had a strange hunch." Ash replied. Little did he know he had answered all of Gold's questions correctly.

"So, you're telling me you had a hunch that an old man, named Gold, was waiting for you on the top Mt. Silver?" Gold asked trying to confirm his suspicions.

"Yes," Ash responded.

"I see. Tell me Ash, how old are you?" Gold asked as he took another sip of his coffee.

"Fifteen,"

"Fifteen? A bit young to be traveling up a dangerous mountain don't you think?" Ash didn't respond this time.

"Tell me Ash, how was your climb?"

"It was hell. It took me two days to reach this point and temperatures dropped to -100 degrees Fahrenheit during nights. I haven't felt my legs since I started my climb, I'm afraid to look at them since I'm 100% positive they are completely purple. Let me ask you a question now. How do you get used to the frostbite and hypothermia?" Ash asked. The fact that he went through all this trouble to get to this point was a mystery to him as well.

"Well if you're not dead by now, you've already adjusted." Gold replied chuckling." Well, I have one more question for you. Why do you want to battle me?" Gold finally had asked the most important question of all.

"I know you're a Pokemon Master." Ash replied without stuttering.

"Why would think that Ash?"

"I don't think, I know," Ash stated more confidently.

"Exactly! Ok Ash, I'll battle you. First, however, I would like to inform you that not to long ago I was in your position. Climbing this very same mountain to challenge a master who many believed had disappeared long ago. His name was Red, and I defeated him. Do you know what that means?"

"You took his position as Pokemon Master,"

"Yes! So, I assume you come for the very same purpose," Gold asked.

"I came here for the sol purpose of achieving my dream. I came here for the sol purpose of proving people wrong. I came here to prove everyone who doubted me wrong. I came here to make my mother proud. I came here to avenge her. I am here to grant her final wish." Ash was nearly brought to simply saying all of this. Then again, he never did get over it.

"Then let me be your final hurdle," Gold stated as he reached for a poké ball.

"So, do you know a special place, or are going to battle of this frozen ledge?"

"I think our current location is more than ideal for a battling."

"I couldn't agree more!" Ash stated as he flipped his hat backwards.

A brief period of silence arose following Ash's last comment. Both warriors awaiting the other make a move. During this period of silence, the wind had died down, heart rates had slowed significantly, not a single bird sang, for one moment, everything had paused in the universe.

"I'll let you decide Ash." Gold said breaking the silence. " How would like this battle?"

"I've always been a fan of an old fashion one on one." Ash stated as the electric mouse, sitting on his shoulder, was preparing for combat.

"Old fashion, I like that." Gold finally threw the poké ball in his hand. " Typhlosion, let's show him the true power of a master." The large fire pokemon was released from its boundaries.

"Phlosion! " It yelled as it appeared.

"Well Pikachu, it's now or never." Pikachu nodded and jumped onto the battlefield, not backing down one bit.

"Thunderbolt!"

Pikachu shot a lightning fast thunderbolt directly towards Typhlosion.

"Use protect,"

Typhlosion quickly shielded itself, but the thunderbolt broke right through Typhlosion's shield. The great fire pokemon was pushed back 40ft from the impact.

"Quick attack,"

"Burn its path,"

Typhlosion set fire to the whole field awaiting Pikachu's attack. Pikachu sprinted right through the fire and sprung towards Typhlosion.

"Quick, turn up the heat!"

Typhlosion rapidly began raising its temperature to its maximum. Pikachu crashed into Typhlosion knocking the fire pokemon back some more. However, at that very instant Pikachu's body was engulfed in flames from Typhlosion's body.

"Use Parabolic Charge, " Pikachu withstood the flames long enough to send an electric ball until the air. An opportunity Gold had to take advantage of.

"End this right now with Blastburn,"

Typhlosion punched the ground and launched its largest wave of flames towards the recharging mouse.

"Pikachu use Volt Tackle and head straight for the flames."

Pikachu used its last bit of energy to rapidly towards Typhlosion.

"Typhlosion if it comes near you knock it out with double edge!"

Typhlosion prepared itself for such an impact. In a split second Pikachu made it through the blast burn and Typhlosion launched its body towards the mouse for the knockout punch. The collision was so massive that it could be heard all the way in Sinnoh. Both Ash and Gold were buried in 5ft of snow. After a moment both warriors dug themselves out to see Pikachu triumphantly standing on top of Typhlosion. After another brief moment of silence Gold recalled Typhlosion to its poké ball.

"Great job." Gold said to the poké ball. " As for you Ash, congrats," Ash remained silent, unable to comprehend the moment. " Tell me, how was your Pikachu not completely obliterated?" Gold's question snapped Ash out of his. He quickly ran over to pick up his best friend, just as he had in every league.

"Well you see when Pikachu was spinning, he was on fire. Heat is basically a high amount of kinetic energy. So, the added amount of kinetic energy allowed Pikachu to spin faster, and even more so when he headed into that blast burn. Pikachu's added speed caused his force to exponentially increase, thus causing his attack to significantly increase in power as well." Ash responded. " I owe you one big time Clemont." Ash thought. Gold was surprised by the level of thought Ash put into the attack, but it didn't take away from the spectacular attack one bit.

"Genius, just like a master should be."

"So… now what?" Ash asked.

At that very moment a ray of light started flashing from the heavens. A mystical lama began coming down from the path and it appeared to be heading towards Ash.

 **What does the Lama God have to say? You'll have to read the next chapter to find out. Anyway, I am aware that Pikachu doesn't learn Parabolic charge, but I don't think there's much harm in slightly altering a moveset. Also, I am not sure if the physics actually lined up with how they did in Pikachu's case, but I don't think it's a topic worth arguing either. Hope to you read the next chapter.( Also if you are wondering Ash's appearance imagine him 15 and wearing his Kalos gear except he has a red shirt instead of a blue one.)**


	2. The Planet of a Master

**Hello readers, I would like to thank you for taking the time to read this chapter. Quick shout out to Subject 666 for editing the doc. You can thank him for not having to endure my crummy grammar and punctuation.**

"Arceus," Ash said quietly. " I haven't seen him in a while." Ash's last comment immediately grabbed Gold's attention.

"Wait, have you seen him before?"

"Yes, twice even. Both times were complicated. I'd rather not explain them right now." Gold simply nodded to Ash's response. Arceus was fast approaching now; and his presence didn't create any menacing feelings within either Ash or Gold.

"Ash, I knew it was only a matter of time." Arceus announced as his four legs landed on the hard ice of Mt. Silver.

"What do you mean only a matter of time?" Ash asked.

"There has always been a fire within you," Arceus responded. " A fire that burns hotter than the great Moltres. A fire that has the potential to shoot you to the top. A fire that I noticed getting stronger by the second. The fire of a master." Arceus' explanation left Ash speechless. He still didn't understand.

"You see Ash, only a select few ever develop such a passion for battling. Between those few, only one ever develops the power of a master. That one, is you." Arceus added.

The god finally began to get through to the new master."I guess I sort of understand now."

"Ash, how do you think you knew where I was?" Gold asked interrupting the conversation.

"What do you mean?"

"That hunch you had. Where do you think it came from?" Gold specified. Ash gave no response. " Your hunch came from Arceus himself. The feeling you had was Arceus contacting your inner fire, signaling it was your time to rise." Ash quickly looked over at Arceus, who gave nothing, but a stern face as always.

"It's true. I felt that you had finally gained enough power to become the new master of Earth. So I signaled you and told Gold to wait for you at the top of Mt. Silver." Arceus explained. "Now, as the new Pokemon Master you must take your rightful place in planet Compleo. To take your rightful place as guardian of Earth. Come with me, Ash. Planet Compleo awaits." Arceus bent down awaiting for Ash to mount on top of him. Ash almost jumped on, until he took a moment to think.

" I'm leaving the only planet I've ever known. I'm leaving all the friends I've ever met behind. I'm leaving behind so many memories. Am I willing to leave all this behind? " Ash thought. "No, this my dream. I'm willing to sacrifice anything to live this dream."

" Is there something wrong?" Arceus asked.

" Nothing, just taking the moment in," Ash responded. He quickly jumped on to Arceus' back, grabbed an extra tight hold to Pikachu, and prepared for space travel. Arceus looked at Ash one more time, to assure he was ready, Ash gave a simple nod, and the two ascended off Earth's terrain. Arceus headed off through the sky and in a matter of seconds exited Earth's atmosphere. As they entered space, Arceus deployed a green bubble to protect Ash from the vacuum of space. Ash held Pikachu tighter by the second as Arceus continued to accelerate through the cosmos. Eventually, after adjusting to Arceus' hyper velocity, Ash looked around and thought

"I'm traveling through celestial space. I'm in deep space." Ash looked back and noticed that Earth's solar system was no longer in sight. After making this realization, he developed a hint of anxiousness, the seemingly eternal vacuum of space was an intimidating concept to a large quantity of people, especially to a teenager.

The journey to planet Compleo lasted roughly three hours. Neither Arceus, nor Ash spoke. Arceus focused on traveling as fast as he could, and Ash couldn't take his eyes off the many planets and stars they passed by in interstellar space. Ash not only had never been in space before, he never imagined it would look so majestic. His fear washed away as he was abducted by the exquisite tale every star told upon first glance. Ash had become lost in space's psychedelic images. Ash felt bad Pikachu had fallen asleep.

Eventually, after three hours, they approached an earth sized, green planet.

"We're almost there." Arceus announced taking Ash's attention off of a group of moons. Ash remained silent.

"I would like to welcome you to planet Compleo. The planet of the most important people in the galaxy." Arceus stated as they touched down. Ash was hesitate to step on the ground, not knowing what the gravity would be like. Ash began feeling the changes in pressure and air as the Arceus' green air bubble disappeared. The change almost caused Ash to drop the sleeping Pikachu in his arms. The air felt cleaner and more fresh than it did on earth. There was little, to no, air pressure present. The conditions were perfect. Ash looked at his surroundings. The sky was a lime green, the few clouds in the sky were plain white, the sun of the planet was large and gave off red color. They had landed on a grass field. A turquoise grass field with numerous trees on spread out.

"Wow, so different." Ash commented as he continued to examine every aspect of the planet.

"Look to your left," Arceus instructed. Ash did as asked.

"WOW! That's one big city." Ash yelled in shock as he gazed at the city. Its tallest buildings extended at least 4000 ft in the air. Lumiose City's' Prism Tower paled in comparison to the majority of structures in this city. This color of the city was a clear, pure chromium tint. From a distance, the city sparkled like a utopia.

"That, Ash, is the city of Maiestas. The city home to all the most important people in the galaxy. Come, you need to meet the committee."

"Committee?"

"The Committee of Pokemon Masters. There are 9 total involving you. Each one representing their planet. They are probably dying to meet the person who took Gold's spot." Arceus said. Ash simply nodded in response and started to walk. " No need Ash. I will teleport you directly inside their headquarters."

"You can do that?" Ash asked. Arceus nodded and began to focus on Ash. In an instant Ash was transported from the field and into the Pokemon Master's headquarters. Ash opened his eyes and found that he was standing in the middle of an dark, enigmatic room with nothing, but blue fire providing light.

"It appears our newest member has arrived."

 **What does this committee have in store for Ash? Will he be accepted? Will he be bullied? You'll have to read to find out. Also concerning the names of the planet and the city, they are Latin words. If you want can find out what they mean.**


	3. Meeting Fellow Masters

**It's time for another chapter. Time to meet the people behind the robes.**

Ash stood there, not moving at all. Awaiting whatever would be thrown at him.

A group of seven people wearing black robes that covered their faces upon first glance, came forth.

"Don't be alarmed, Ash. We pose no threat. Our only offer is unity." A male voice announced. Ash remained motionless, and speechless. "You're Ash Ketchum. Are you not?"

"Yes," Ash answered.

"You're the one who defeated Master Gold. Are you not?"

"Yes," Ash repeated.

"Are you man of few words?" A female voice asked.

"No,"

"So, you're choosing to avoid conversation?" The female asked.

"Yes," Ash responded. A short period of silence developed following his response. Ash wasn't exactly making himself easy to read.

"Why do this Ash? Most people are excited to meet the colleagues of their dreams. Why aren't you?" The female member asked.

"Because I'm not exactly sure I'm here to stay. I want to see what you will offer me as a Pokemon Master. If I'm not satisfied, I'll be back in Earth by next morning." Ash replied, revealing his intentions.

"Ash, we both know that's not happening," A male member stated. Ash, once again, remained silent. "If you didn't plan on remaining here, why come?" The male asked. Ash, once again, didn't respond. However, inside he knew the man spoke the truth.

"So, let's begin again. Who are you?" A different female voice asked.

"Ash Ketchum," Ash finally stated,"Ash Ketchum of Pallet Town,"

"That's more like it. As for me, I go by the name of Cathy Triggs," Cathy stated,"Cathy Triggs of the planet Sewer." Cathy said as she pulled down her hood. She revealed her long, sleek blonde hair. Her pale, rosy cheeks, complimented by her innocent, seductive green eyes. Ash, despite his unerotic mindset, couldn't help but notice her immense beauty. However, unlike most men, Ash could see the sinister personality beneath her gilded appearance. She held her hand out, and Ash firmly shook it. Ash's attention then turned to the other person walking towards him.

"I go by the name of Alec Morgan. I'm from the planet Carnegie," Alec stated as he took off his hood. Alec's face was that of a warrior. His black hair tied up in a pony tail. His cheeks were marked with scratches and scars. The dark brown pigment in eyes told his whole story. He offered his hand, and Ash shook it. Another member soon made their way towards the rookie.

"Welcome aboard the family Ash. My name is Julius. Julius T. Scott of the planet Ares," Julius announced as he revealed his face. Of all the faces Ash had examined to this point, Julius' was, by far, the cleanest. He had flat brown hair that complimented his orange eyes. His face was chubby, but didn't contain any significant scars or blemishes. Julius held out his hand and, once again, Ash shook it. Before the handshake was over, Ash felt the footsteps of the committee's largest member.

"My name is Dennis Scarborough," Dennis said. "If you are planning on staying here a while, I suggest staying out of my way, and staying out of the planet Forbes' way." Dennis pulled down his hood to reveal a relatively hideous face. Dennis had nothing more than patch of gray hair on his head and a long, scraggy gray beard. Dennis' blue eyes were perhaps the oddest aspect about him. Blue eyes that were as pure as the sea were surrounded by acne scars and inflated warts. Still, Dennis' near seven foot frame and chunky form conveyed him as someone not to be messed with. In this case Ash held his out his hand first. Dennis stared at Ash for a solid couple of seconds before finally shaking hands with him. Dennis' shake nearly injured Ash's diminutive right hand, but now was not the time to demonstrate weakness. Ash sighed a breath of relief as Dennis stepped back a few steps to allow the next member's introduction.

"Hi! My name is Jewel Fox," Jewel cheerfully stated, "I'm very friendly since I take after my home planet of Pacem." Jewel proclaimed as she reveal her facial features. Ash could see that she was a twenty-year old, with the face of a nine-year old face. Her eyes were a delicate shade of hazel. Her long, curly, tan hair gave her appearance a majestic vibe. However, she seemed to have one small, yet noticeable, scar above her left eye. Judging by the scar's faint texture, Ash could tell Jewel had tried to deal with it before. Ash again held his hand out first and Jewel energetically shook it. She, out of all the members, reminded him most of his previous companions.

"I'm Carter Tran," Carter said as he stepped forth and removed his hood, "I'm the Pokemon Master of Salinas," Carter, perhaps the shortest of the males, seemed the saddest of all the members. His black hair hung over one of his brown eyes covering it up. He was pale and his skin contained little change in texture. He had no facial hair to speak of and looked like most people did on Mondays. He held out his small hands and Ash shook them. For the first time, Ash felt hands softer than a feather.

All at once, the masters took a few steps back. Allowing the introduction of the final member.

"I'm the leader of the committee and this very planet. You shall refer to me as Dante and nothing more." Dante announced as he held out his hand. Dante, unlike the others, neglected to show his face. Dante could intimidate most people with his presence, Ash was an exception. Ash, without hesitation, shook Dante's hand without much diligence. Dante merely grunted.

"Well Ash, now that you've introduced yourself we'll let your predecessor help give you little tour of the city," Dante stated, "When you're finished, come to the center of Maiestas. We'll hold your induction ceremony there." At this moment, Ash noticed Gold entering the room from side and approaching him.

"Gold, I thought you'd stayed back on Earth," Ash stated.

"You've thought a lot of things. Most of them not important at the moment,"

"Enough of this chatter!" Dante interrupted, "You are no longer a master Gold. Your sole purpose now is to help Ash assimilate. Do I make myself clear?"

"Of course sir," Gold respectfully remarked. Dante didn't respond and awaited for Gold and Ash to head out.

After they exited the building, Ash had some questioning to do.

"You mind telling me how the hell you got here?" Ash asked.

"My Alakazam teleported me here." Gold answered.

"Okay, then do you mind explaining why you acted like a trooper back there?"

"Simple, Dante's the leader, and I'm no longer a master. Therefore I shall only live my life to serve him and the people of this world." Gold explained.

"So, you're basically going to be his slave?" Ash asked trying to comprehend Gold's response.

"As long as I get to chill here for the rest of my life, I don't really care." Gold's answer confused Ash.

"What do you mean?"

"Once we get this tour over with, you'll see what I'm talking about." Gold replied with a mischievous grin.

 **So there's chapter three. From here the chapters will be getting moderately longer as we advance further through the story. Reminder, we have people from different planets, therefore we have people with different pokemon. If you want to make up a pokemon for one of the members(or anybody) to have, then by all means share it in your reviews. If not, then I'll just make them all up myself. I'm fine with either option since I won't wait for reviews pop up before I write another chapter.**


	4. Maiestas:The City Upon a Hill

**It's time for another chapter. Not much to say, except I hope you've been enjoying the story so far. Time to see this City Upon a Hill.**

Ash and Gold were walking through the streets of Maiestas. It was a Utopian city indeed. Sidewalks were coated in chrome, skyscrapers extended through the heavens, and everything was run orderly. Pedestrians didn't cram the sidewalks, the roads were effective enough to prevent large-scale traffic. Everything was perfect. Too perfect for Ash's liking.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Sure, anything,"

"What's with this city?" Ash asked. "I mean, why does everything flow so well? Before you answer you should know that I'm not a big believer in utopias,"

"Why would that be?" Gold asked.

"Because there are bad people in every world. Back at home there were numerous evil organizations who were always trying to use Pokémon as catalyst for their evil plans," Ash answered. His eyes now began to tear up. "One organization in particular had a special interest in me. Now, my mom is pushing up daisies," Ash said, before falling silent.

"You feel guilty?" Gold asked.

"I'd be lying if I told you otherwise. However, I've come to realize that the blood is mostly on their hands, not mine. I know her last wish would've been for me to live my dream and not waste my life mourning over her death," Ash's words showed maturity. Something not many have at his age.

"I suppose I should answer your question now," Gold stated, "The truth is I don't know what's up. The people here are among the greatest in the galaxy. Yet, I am still blown away from the absolute peacefulness of this city. It almost seems impossible for any outsider to comprehend. Trust me though, once you've been here a while, you'll come to realize there's nothing special about this place at all. Only people, being the best society humanly possible,"

Ash remained silent after Gold's response. Had he been a ten-year-old again, he probably would've accepted Gold's words as fact. Ash would give anything to be ten again.

Gold continued giving his tour. After a while Gold had pretty much shown Ash all aspects of Maiestas. However, to Gold's surprise, Ash didn't seem astonished by anything that didn't involve food. That would change soon.

"Here we have my second favorite part of the city, the Arceus Colosseum. The largest venue in the galaxy," Gold proclaimed. The stadium was like an octopus. One enormous, central dome with eight long entrances extending to different sections of the city. The stadium, like the city, seemed like look into the distant future for Ash. He took a step forward, before being held back by Gold.

"I want see it from the inside," Ash informed Gold.

"You'll get in soon enough. Come, you haven't even seen the best part," Gold responded.

"Listen Gold, I live and breathe Pokémon battles. Anything that relates to battling, I want to experience immediately," Ash declared.

"Don't worry, you'll be in there soon,"

"How soon?" Ash eagerly asked.

"Soon enough. Now come on, you haven't even seen the best part of the city yet," Gold replied. Ash nodded in approval, yet when Gold began to leave the venue, Ash didn't follow. Ash only stood there, admiring the stadium once more.

"Hey! We're not going to stand here forever!" Gold yelled. Ash didn't respond. Gold walked back towards Ash and pulled him back. "What's wrong with you?"

"I don't know," Ash replied."I _feel_ safe here,"

"You can feel safe later. Right now we should keep moving," Gold stated.

"Alright," Ash responded.

"Good. Now let's go see the epicenter of prosperity," Gold grinned.

After only ten minutes of walking east, Gold and Ash had reached the center of leisure.

"Here we are. Everyone's favorite source of joy, or at times sorrow," Gold claimed.

"A casino?" Ash asked.

"Yes. Maiestas View Casino to be exact," Gold stated. He and Ash then took a step inside. The first thing that came into view was the diamond coated pillars. Each Pillar marked some sort of game. Each game had about ten people lined up to play and one, sad looking employee.

"What's with these sad employees?" Ash asked.

"Oh they're just the native people of Compleo. They naturally carry a melancholy attitude," Gold informed Ash.

"Are you sure?" Ash suspiciously asked.

"Yes I'm sure," Gold stated.

"So, how do the native people interact with us?" Ash asked. He had suddenly become interested in the natives and their culture.

"We have an agreement with them. They built this city and all its structures, and provide us with food, water and electricity. In exchange we provide them with protection from wild Pokémon, natural disasters, and bandits. You see Compleo on its own is a hostile wasteland prone to all sorts of catastrophes, but with us around, the native people have been able to live peacefully." Gold informed Ash.

"Then why did Arceus send all the Pokemon Masters here, instead of simply protecting these people himself?" Ash asked wanting to learn more about the cities origins.

"He didn't. The great Casio, Dante's ancestor, established that on his own," Gold stated,"When Casio gained enough power to become the first Pokemon Master in existence, he declared that he would bring order to his world once and for all. He temporarily brought unity to the people of Compleo and helped establish civilization on Compleo. Casio wasn't satisfied with civilization on planet however, he wanted to civilize all planets that contained life. So he asked Arceus to bring a selected few to the planet and make them honorary Pokemon Masters as well. With more Masters came more order and balance throughout the galaxy. Arceus would no longer have to monitor any one planet for a long period of time. Now enough lecturing, let's have some fun." At this point having fun was as far away from Ash's mind as could be. Ash couldn't help but take a while to contemplate what Gold just told him. Only when Gold snapped his fingers in front of Ash's face did Ash awake from his trance. Gold wanted an answer to his proposal.

"Actually, I'm not old enough to gamble. Nor do I believe I would ever be into gambling," Ash stated.

"There is no age limit here. As long as you have cash, you can participate,"

"Even if I wanted to gamble, I don't have any cash from this world. In fact, now that I think about it, I don't even know what I'm supposed to do for a living here," Ash confessed.

"You're a Pokemon Master. Therefore your sole responsibility is to be Earth's guardian,"

"Then what am I doing on this planet? Why aren't I on Earth? How can I possibly guard a planet light years away?" Ash asked.

"Alright, if you want the answers to all your questions follow me," Gold stated.

"Where are we going?"

"Your house,"

"My house?"

"Well, technically it used to be mine, but now it's yours. It contains the answers to all of your questions." Gold claimed. He exited the casino and Ash followed. Little did they know a microscopic camera been following their movement from the sky.

\- Unknown Location -

"What do think Dante?"

"I like him. He's clever and has the weakness of regular human," Dante replied.

His advisor thought differently."I don't know. He seems a bit too clever to me," The advisor claimed.

"No. He's just the right amount of clever," Dante replied.

"He's an honorable young man,"

"That he is. We'll have to change that,"

 **There's chapter four for you.**

 **Quick reminder: you can still submit your very own pokemon in your reviews. This offer will be up for only chapter or two longer. It makes me no difference whether whether you guys send in none or tons, I won't wait for reviews.**


	5. A Home Suitable for A Prince

**Another weekend, another chapter.**

"Here we are," Gold announced. Ash couldn't believe his eyes.

"This is my house?" Ash asked. Gold nodded in response.

"It's...enormous!" Ash exclaimed. The house, or mansion, was four stories high, forty acres in diameter, and surrounded by a large moat making it seem like a castle. The upper corners of the mansion were cone-shaped and colored blue, complimenting the white exterior nicely. Windows were abundant and arched creating a classical appearance. The entrance door was average sized, but coated with jewelry from top to bottom.

"I feel like a prince," Ash commented as he walked towards the mansion. Gold smirked as he followed Ash's lead.

"So, are you still considering leaving this place?" Gold asked. Ash ignored the question and continued walking towards his paradise.

When Ash finally opened the door, is was as if he had opened a portal. A portal that lead to heaven. The interior was snowflake white with large columns scattered throughout the living area. Spiral staircases lead towards the upper floors. Large lights hung from the ceiling and voice activated. There was almost too much to explore in one day.

"As much as I want you to get comfortable, we need to answer your questions," Gold stated, interrupting Ash's state of astonishment.

"What questions?" Ash replied. Gold almost fell over seeing that Ash had forgotten their reasons for being there.

"The questions about being Earth's guardian!" Gold hollered.

"Oh yea. I completely forgot about that," Ash said, rubbing the back of his head in embarrassment.

"Come upstairs," Gold said as he signaled to follow. The only inconvenience of the residence to Ash, was the countless amount of stairs.

"Time for you to see your room," Gold announced as he opened the door. of the master bedroom.

The room itself was just as glorious as the rest of the mansion. A king sized bed, surrounded by a substantial dressers, a fifty inch plasma TV, small fountains in the corners of the room, a glass sliding doors that opened up to a magnificent view of the sun set. The last thing to catch Ash's eye was a mysterious blue sphere lying on top of a pedestal in the left corner of the room. Gold slowly walked towards the sphere and picked it up.

"This orb will allow you to observe Earth from this very room." Gold state, Ash gazed at the orb with utmost amusement. "Allow me to demonstrate," Gold held tightly with both hands and concentrated. The orb began to get cloudy, until Gold softly rubbed the clouds off. When the clouds eroded a clear image of Pallet Town appeared, showing all of its structures and houses.

"Wow. That's pretty cool," Ash commented as he looked upon his home town.

"I know it is. You can even go for a close up image of a specific house or a distant image of a region itself. All you do is hold it tight, then concentrate on what part of Earth you want to see. Here, why don't you try?"

Gold handed the orb to Ash. Ash was surprised at how light and soft it was. It had the texture of a feather and weighed about three pounds. Ash tightened his hold and began to concentrate. Soon the orb began to cloud up again.

"Now rub your hand gently on the orb to remove the clouds," Gold informed Ash. Ash did as told and gingerly rubbed the orb with his right hand. The clouds quickly dissolved and a clear image of professor Oak conducting research at his lab was shown.

"Wow,"

"Cool isn't it. With this you can watch over all aspects of Earth to make sure there is no serious threat to a region,"

"What do I do if there is an issue?" Ash asked.

"It depends on what the problem is," Gold stated. "In the case of a plague, we have cures to every disease known to man and Pokémon, so you would be sent over to Earth to deliver the cure. If there's famine we give you some new seeds to plant on Earth in order to increase food production. A series of natural disasters would require you to head over to with construction plans for more secure shelters. Once again, you only need to deliver them. A dangerous organization, in that case you would need to head to Earth and stop them yourself,"

"Hold on!" Ash interjected. "There have been numerous evil organizations in my time and I don't remember seeing you once stop any of them. I was always the one who had intervene,"

"I would've helped if I needed to," Gold responded. "However I rarely saw groups like Team Rocket, Team Magma, or Team Flare as threats because you, or people associated with you, usually had it covered. I only would arrive if I was needed," Gold's last statement left a silence between the two.

"Alright, I guess I'll leave you here and see you at your ceremony," Gold stated as he prepared to exit the room.

"Wait!" Ash shouted. "Before you go, can you tell me how you became a Pokémon Master? I'm just curious," Gold put a halt to his steps and turned to face Ash.

"Unlike you I was a prodigy from the beginning. I beat most of the gyms in Johto with ease and won the Silver Conference. I then faced the elite four and was victorious. I faced the champion and was victorious. At the age of ten I had become the strongest trainer in Johto. However, I needed more. I took my skills to Kanto and competed in the Indigo League. I won. I faced the Elite Four and the Champion. I won again. I became the champion of Johto and Kanto. Yet I still needed more. That's when, just like you, I got a feeling that someone was waiting for me. Someone was waiting to battle me on Mt. Silver. That someone was the legendary Pokémon Master Red. The same Red who abandoned his position as Champion of Kanto long ago. In the most intense battle of my life, I won. Red then announced me as the new Pokémon Master and Arceus took me planet Compleo,"

"You sure had more success than I did," Ash stated.

"Ash, you know that league victories and championships don't define strength. Strength is found in the bond of trainer and Pokémon," Gold proclaimed. " Speaking of which, it appears your Pikachu has made itself comfortable," Ash looked turned around to see Pikachu curled up into a ball. Resting on the Ash's bed.

"How long do I have before the ceremony?"

"About five hours," Gold answered.

"Then I'm going to take a little nap," Ash said while yawning.

"Do as you wish," With those words Gold exited the room. Leaving an exhausted Ash resting with his beat friend.

"I'm sure our friends are doing just fine back home" Ash thought before dozing off.

\- Pewter City -

"Doctor, there's a patient who needs your immediate assistance," A nurse informed the doctor.

"Send them in," The doctor responded. He was utterly surprised when he recognized the red haired girl who walked in.

"Misty?"

"Brock I need your help," Misty said with a concerned tone.

"Of course Misty. What seems to the problem?"

"My Gyarados is feeling really sick. It keeps overheating and sweating no matter how much water it's in," Misty claimed.

"Where is it?"

"It's behind the the hospital," With those words Brock and Misty quickly ran out the Pokémon hospital and went behind the structure to see Gyarados. There the ill water Pokémon stood. In a small pool filled with cold water. Brock was quick to examine it. Gyarados' temperature had hit critical levels. It's body was sweating at alarming rates. Such symptoms rarely occurred with water pokemon.

"This is bad. I've never seen these symptoms before,"

"Are you saying you can't help it?" Misty asked frightened by the potential answer.

"No. Put Gyarados into its poké ball. We'll need to relocate it to a different facility,"

\- Back in Maiestas - (Three days later)

Ash awoke in the morning at seven. For some odd reason he always seemed to wake up early in his new home. He casually got dressed and ready for the day. He was about the go the kitchen and eat some breakfast, until he took a moment to glance at the orb.

"I guess I should check up on Kanto real quick," Ash told himself. Just as he was about to pick the orb, he heard the doorbell ring. He put the orb down to go answer the bell.

"Who could it be this early in the mornin?" Ash thought as he opened the door. His mind went blank when he saw the person standing on his doorstep.

"Dante?"

 **And that is Chapter 5. My offer on creating Pokémon will only be up one or two more chapters, so if you have an idea, just put it in your review.**


	6. A Battle of The Highest Prestige

**Monday afternoon, time for a new chapter. Also this is the last chapter the custom Pokémon offer is on the table. So when I post Ch.7, I will no longer be accepting custom Pokémon.**

"Yes Ash. It's me," Dante confirmed in his usual dark tone of voice.

"What can I do for you?" Ash asked after taking a moment to compose himself.

"I wanted to take you to the stadium and see your battling skills first hand. I want to see the master who dethroned Gold."

"Now?" Ash asked.

"Yes. Now," Dante replied without giving Ash much of an option.

"Okay, but let me get my Pokémon real quick," Ash said as he turned to collect his Pokémon.

"Only take one," Dante said causing Ash to turn his head back. "Specifically, the one who defeated Gold."

"Right,"

Ash quickly ran up the spiral staircase that led to his room. He ran straight into his room to immediately shake his sleeping Pikachu awake.

"Wake up buddy. I need you," Ash told Pikachu as he began to wake up.

"Pika?" Pikachu said confused by the situation.

"I know we haven't trained in a few days, but we are going have a battle against Dante very soon," Ash said trying get Pikachu's juices flowing.

Immediately after hearing those words, Pikachu leaped off the ground and landed in a fighting pose. He hadn't had a true battle since Gold's Typhlosion. Needless to say he was pumped for this battle.

"Alright then, let's see what Dante is really made of," Ash announced showing the same level of enthusiasm as Pikachu.

Ash and Pikachu ran down stairs to meet up with Dante, who was impatiently awaiting their arrival. Dante was surprised however, when he saw the electric mouse on Ash's shoulder.

"This is the Pokémon who defeated Gold?" Dante asked as he examined Pikachu.

"Yep. If you dare underestimate him, he'll beat your strongest Pokémon as well," Ash confidently replied. Dante continued to look closely at Pikachu.

"You don't say," Dante said. He could sense the immense power within this small Pokémon. Not that he was surprised. A Pokémon Master's Pokémon always had astonishing abilities. "Let's get a move on. Gold, would you do the honors?"

"Certainly," Gold replied as he and his Alakazam appeared out of thin air

"Gold? How did you?" Ash asked confused by Gold's entrance. Gold didn't reply. He merely pointed as his Alakazam expecting Ash to catch on.

"Okay, but why are you here?"

"I can't pass up the opportunity to witness a battle of the highest caliber in the galaxy," Gold replied.

"Remember why you're here Gold," Dante said interruption Ash and Gold's short conversation.

"Of course sir," Gold replied. "Alakazam, teleport us to the stadium,"

In an instant all of them had been teleported to the battlefield. After opening his eyes Ash became astonished by the interior of the stadium. The battlefield was dark blue and appeared to be made of pure metal. It was also twice as large as any field he had ever battled on. However it was the capacity of the stadium that turned out to be the most staggering aspect of the venue. At least a quater million empty seats must of surrounded the field. A monumental jumbotron stood above each end of the field. At the top of the stadium were a dozen flags waving with the wind. However, even though Ash was surrounded by numerous intimidating artifacts, he still felt secure. The type of security one only feels in their home.

"Let's get started then," Dante announced as he reached for a poké ball. "Idolon show them the true power of a master,"

A dark, purple phantom-like figure emerged from the ball. The figure was about six feet tall and was covered from top to bottom in dark clothing, only its red eyes were exposed.

Ash had never seen such a Pokémon before. He pulled out his pokédex for further examination. The only information that popped however were the words "Error. No Pokémon detected,"

"Of course. This Pokémon isn't from Earth," Ash thought.

"Show him your sword Idolon," Dante commanded. Igodon's arms joined and developed a blue, mystical sword out of the air.

"Does that sword cut through Pokémon?" Ash asked feeling a bit concerned.

"Only through the weak ones," Dante replied. "Now, Idolon charge with Sword Slash,"

Idolon rapidly charged at Pikachu with its sword charged up, only to barely miss Pikachu its first attempt.

"Double team Pikachu."

Pikachu immediately made numerous copies of itself, surrounding Idolon.

"Idolon slice through them all with Sword Combination."

Idolon wasted no time obeying its orders and slicing through all the copies in a matter of seconds. It finally managed to hit the real Pikachu as well. Pikachu was sent flying into the metal sidelines from the impact.

"Pikachu, are you alright?"

Pikachu got up slowly, with only a deep cut in its side that Ash failed to notice.

"Sword Slash again."

"Deflect it with Iron tail."

Idolon's sword and Pikachu's Iron Tail made contact and although they deadlocked for a moment, Pikachu was sent crashing into the sideline once more.

" _Nothing's working. Idolon has a clear strength advantage,"_ Ash thought. Pikachu got up slowly, but determined.

"Idolon use Phantom Force."

Idolon vanished from the field, leaving Pikachu on alert.

"Pikachu use Double team."

Once again Pikachu filled the field up with copies of itself. Idolon quickly appeared striking the wrong Pikachu.

"Now use Volt Tackle."

Pikachu launched itself in a spinning motion towards a defenseless Idolon. Pikachu's momentum allowed for him to pin Idolon onto the other sideline wall. Pikachu kept spinning, further crushing Idolon against the field's barrier.

"Idolon use Sword Slash to get Pikachu off of you."

Idolon forcefully threw Pikachu off of him with its sword, but it had taken a lot of damage from Pikachu's Volt Tackle.

"Now Thunder."

Pikachu quickly charged up and shot its Thunder attack towards the injured Idolon. Idolon's injuries prevented him from evading the attack. Dante could only watch as one of his strongest Pokémon was being electrocuted. After the attack Idolon got up very gingerly, but appeared as if he still had some fight in him.

"Idolon use Sword Slash," Dante commanded. Idolon prepared to attack, but collapsed after taking one step forward.

"We did it Pikachu! I knew we could win!" Ash exclaimed as he ran towards Pikachu. Pikachu leaped into Ash's arms in celebration. While in the embrace Ash felt a wet spot on Pikachu's right side. He pulled Pikachu off of him to investigate. "Oh my god, Pikachu you're bleeding."

Pikachu looked at his wound without amusement. He assumed Ash had noticed it awhile ago. Ash, on the other hand, was acting with more urgency.

"Dante, where are the Pokémon healing facilities?" Ash asked.

"Exit the stadium to your right and head directly down the street. At the end of the street is our Pokémon Hospital," Dante replied.

"Thanks Dante," Ash said. With those words, Ash exited the stadium.

Dante remained standing there, gazing at his fallen warrior. Gold approached him slowly. He was as shocked as Dante was.

"How you feeling sir?" Gold asked curious to what Dante's reaction would be.

"No two attacks shoulder done so much damage to Idolon. It's impossible," Dante replied as he continued stare at Idolon.

"I know sir. I'm just as surprised as you are," Gold commented.

"That teenager just defeated one of my strongest Pokémon. No, he defeated one of my strongest warriors. With his electric mouse," Dante proclaimed as he turned to face Gold.

"Should we still look at him as a tool we can manipulate?" Gold asked.

"No. He ain't no tool. He's a threat."

 **What is Dante supposed to do now? How strong has Ash become? When am I going to stop asking rhetorical questions? Anyways, thank you for reading the chapter.**


	7. Drinking The Gateway to Ammusement

**Sorry for the small delay, but chapter 7 is here. Also this means that the create your own Pokemon offer is officially closed. I'd like to thank everyone who participated. Lot's of creative Pokemon will soon find their way into future chapters.**

"A threat?" Gold asked. This was the first hint of fear he had ever hear from Dante.

"Yes," Dante replied. He momentarily squatted down to further observe his fallen warrior. His head was kept down in agony.

"Should we _eliminate_ this threat?" Gold asked.

"No. Should such an attack be discovered, my reputation would be ruined."

"Then what do you suppose we do?" Gold asked.

A sudden silence broke between the two. Dante pondering a solution and Gold awaiting Dante's response.

"I got it." Dante announced.

"What is your solution?"

"We may not be able to directly attack or control him, but can change him." Dante proclaimed.

"Would you mind elaborating?"

"If we deteriorate his pride, his nobility, his knowledge, and his honor we can assure that his status among us Masters shall never exceed mine. In fact, I would expect his skill may take a sizable drop as well. After all a proud man is a strong man, while a shameful man is a weak man." Dante explained.

Gold was surprised by such a strategic plan. However, it was not his job to decide how something should be done. "I understand what your are aiming to accomplish, but if you don't mind me asking, how are you planning to accomplish this?"

"Simple. All we have to do is show him the Maiestas nightlife. The rest of the dominoes should then fall into place nicely." Dante explained.

"That's an excellent plan. I'll get on it immediately." Gold announced. He was just about to leave the vicinity until he felt Dante's hand on his shoulder.

"That won't be necessary." Dante said. "I'll be accompanying Ash myself. You will not be associating with Ash unless I order you too. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, sir." Gold replied. This is the first time he recalled Dante taking such matters into his own hands.

"Good," Dante responded. "Now leave. I have some arrangements to make."

* * *

 **-** **Near by Pokémon Facility -**

"Young man, we've successfully treated your Pokémon's wounds. He's ready to be taken back in your possession now." The nurse told Ash.

"Thank you so much." Ash replied as he took back his Pikachu.

"No problem," The nurse said. Ash then waved goodbye and left the facility.

"You alright buddy?" Ash asked Pikachu.

"Pika!"

"That's good." Ash said as he hugged his best friend. "You know we're lucky Brock wasn't with us. If he fell head over heels for Nurse Joy, I wouldn't want to know what he would do if he saw the nurse who treated your wounds."

The two shared a small laugh as they recalled memories of their hormone driven friend. However, the laugh quickly turned into silence as Ash remember that him and Brock were on completely different sides of the galaxy.

"I hope he's doing alright." Ash said to himself.

* * *

 **\- Pewter City -**

"Well, what do you guys think is the problem?" Brock asked the other doctors as they were examining Misty's Gyarados.

"I don't know. All of our test have come back negative, yet Gyarados is obviously not normal." One of the doctors replied.

"Then what's gonna happen to Gyarados?" An utterly concerned Misty asked.

"We are unsure at this point. However, I can guarantee you that we won't give up on your Gyarados. We'll be working day and night to figure out what's wrong." Brock proclaimed. He spoke more optimistically than he actually felt.

* * *

 **\- Back with Ash -**

Ash remained relatively silent as he walk home. His mind was constantly dozing off, reminiscing about past experiences.

"Hey Ash!" Dante yelled as he ran towards him. Ash's head was instantly lifted up as he noticed his fellow master approaching him.

"Oh, hey Dante." Ash responded.

"I was wondering if you wanted join me as I headed towards the casino?" Dante asked.

"You mean like hang out?"

"Yes, I suppose so." Dante replied. He didn't really like the way Ash said it. He had never appreciated being around affable people like Ash, but he couldn't allow himself to be annoyed by something so minor.

"Sure," Ash responded. "You lead the way."

"That won't be necessary." Dante said. At that moment a fancy, white limousine arrived.

"Come on in." Dante said as he held a door open for Ash.

Ash slowly walked in, and was instantly astonished by the amount luxury one limousine could have. The seats were covered in a velvet red. The darkness of the interior was illuminated by a few xenon lights. A small refrigerator stood near one of the corners of the car. Dante casually opened the fridge, revealing the many fancy beverages stored.

"Help yourself to whichever you want." Dante informed Ash. Ash waited no time trying to pick out a drink and eventually settled on a random bottle. He took one sip, before realizing a specific ingredient in the beverage.

"This has alcohol." Ash said as he began inspecting the drink.

"Only a small amount."

"I'm sorry, but I don't drink alcohol." Ash informed Dante.

"Relax, there's hardly any at all. Plus it tastes great when you get past the initial buzz."

"I don't know?" Ash stated. He continued to stare at the bottle, wondering whether he should try more or not.

"Look, you'll be fine. If you don't like it or feel it too much, I'll buy you a drink that doesn't have any alcohol." Dante said. He knew the temptation would eventually overcome Ash.

"Well, maybe just a sip." Ash stated. He took a miniature sip of the bottle and pondered the results. "I guess I see what you mean when you say it's taste really good. I guess another sip wouldn't hurt."

"That's it, but don't drink too fast. I don't think you can handle too much of that drink." Dante said as he took a sip of his own drink.

"Oh yea, watch me." Ash said as he began chug the rest of his beverage down. Dante's smile had slowly begun to grow ever larger.

"How about another one? Do you think you can handle one with a bit more juice?" Dante asked as he grabbed a significantly stronger drink out of the fridge.

"You haven't seen anything yet." Ash stated as he grabbed the bottle from Dante's hand.

 **There you have it. A bit of a short chapter, but I feel as if it truly contributed to the plot. Hope to see you next chapter.**


	8. The spin of a wheel

**No better way to start your wednesday afternoon than with a new chapter.**

"Alright," Dante said as the limousine pulled over. "We're here."

"Already?" Ash asked as he looked out the window. "I haven't even tried every bottle yet."

Dante ignored Ash's comment and held the door open for him. Ash, who had only just begun to feel the effects of the alcohol, nearly stumbled as he exited the vehicle.

"How're you doing Ash?" Dante asked as he helped Ash regain his balance.

"I'm doing just fine as a matter of fact," Ash answered. He was then able to walk towards the entry with only a slight struggle.

As Ash and Dante approached the entry doors, others surrounding the building noticed their presence and immediately headed to meet them. The mass of fans however, stopped in their tracks as they saw Ash's struggling to walk straight.

"Is he alright?" One man asked, although he wasn't the only one who thought it. Dante allowed Ash to remain on display for a little longer before commenting.

"Why are you all staring at me?" Ash asked oblivious to his current state.

"Don't worry about him. He's just a little woozy after a few drinks." Dante responded towards the crowd.

It was common for a Pokémon Master to have drinking issues, but rarely did one ever show it off in front of the public. Many of the people looked at Ash in disgust as the Pokémon Master continued to embarrass himself and damage his image. Ash entered the building, but noticed a walking towards him.

"Master or not, Pokémon are not allowed in this section." The man informed as he pointed towards Pikachu.

"Oh, I'm sorry, but I don't know where to leave Pikachu." Ash replied as he picked up Pikachu.

"We have a daycare for small Pokémon to wait as their trainers are occupied. That is the only area where a Pokémon can be placed." The man responded.

Ash followed the man towards the daycare, his concern for Pikachu's presence lowering the alcohol's effects temporarily. When they arrived Ash noticed the daycare was remarkably similar to a typical Pokémon Center, but there weren't many other Pokémon present at the moment.

"You know Ash," Dante said grabbing his attention. "I could let out one of my Pokémon to give your Pikachu company."

"That'd be great." Ash replied.

Dante grabbed one of his Poké Balls and released a mysterious, jet-black serpent Pokémon. The serpent was approximately six feet long and had an extremely thick body. What really attracted Ash's attention however were its eyes. The serpent's eyes were flecked in purple and green and lacked pupils.

"Wow, that's so cool. What is it called?" Ash asked as he inspected the serpent in amusement.

"It's known as a Slithix," Dante replied. "It's one of the rarest Pokémon in existence and one that is only able to be trained by a Pokémon Master."

"That's so cool. Alright, Pikachu I'm leave you here, but I promise I won't take very long." Ash told his best friend.

Pikachu nodded and then quickly ran over to observe Slithix.

After Ash and Dante left, Pikachu began running around Slithix, expecting a playful response. Slithix however, remained motionless.

"Pika!" Pikachu yelled annoyed by Slithix's solemness.

Pikachu stared at Slithix with displeasure, but was consumed by Slithix's eyes in a matter of moments. Now Pikachu would be the one who remained motionless. Slithix then motioned its tail left and Pikachu slowly headed left and faced the wall, oblivious to its surroundings.

* * *

 **\- With Ash -**

"I'm not sure if I'll be very good at this game." Ash confessed as he was at the roulette table.

"You'll do fine. Anyone can win at least once." Dante informed Ash.

Ash took a deep breath and looked at his stack of chips, before deciding on a number.

"I'm all in on fourteen black." Ash announced.

The dealer let the ball roll on wheel and the game began. Ash looked anxiously at the ball as it rolled around each part of the wheel. He winced every time the ball would pass his number. After what seemed like an eternity, the ball finally came to a halt.

"Nine Red, you lose." The dealer informed Ash.

Ash didn't say a word. The dealer took his chips without any reaction from Ash. Dante suddenly began worrying that perhaps Ash had become discouraged.

"You doing alright?"

"Dante, that was the most indescribable event of my life." Ash responded surprising Dante.

"Oh, I'm sure it was."

"I mean it was like I had momentarily won, then lost a second after. The rush was unreal." Ash commented much to Dante's delight.

"Here, this one's on me." Dante announced as he handed Ash some more money.

"Thanks man. Time for round two." Ash announced as swiped the money from Dante's hands.

"I need some more drinks over here!" Dante called out.

In no time flat a young woman brought two drinks to the table. Ash wasted no time slurping his beverage down and preparing his luck.

"I'm all in. Twelve red, let's go." Ash said handing his chips to the dealer.

Dante looked on as Ash lost game after game and continued to ask him for more money. Dante continued to ask for more drinks as well. The waitress delivered the drinks, but then patted Dante on the back.

"Doesn't it bother you that he's wasting all your money?" The waitress asked.

"Nope," Dante responded.

"Really?"

"I couldn't care less about how much money is lost. I'm winning every time." Dante claimed, confusing the waitress.

"Wait a minute. Is that the new Pokémon Master?" The waitress asked after taking a closer look at Ash.

"Yea that's him, the newest blood in our ancient ministry." Dante replied.

"He looks awfully young and cute. That poor soul." The waitress proclaimed.

With those words the waitress left Dante's presence. Dante gazed over at Ash with a stern face as the waitresses words sunk into his mind.

"Every soul is a poor soul in my book." Dante said to himself as he took another drink.

 **First drinking, now gambling? What is Ash doing? What does Dante have planned? Why am I asking you all these questions? Will I ever stop with the rhetorical questions? Keep reading to find out.**


	9. Round Two

**Well its that time to week again.**

"Oh," Ash said. "My head"

Ash awoke in his room with one of the worst headaches of his life. He looked around his room for a moment, attempting to get a sense of his situations.

"How'd I get here?" Ash said to himself. "I was out last night with Dante, but that's as much as I remember. The rest is a blur."

Ash quickly got off his bed and began to head for the restroom. On his way there he noticed that Pikachu was on the floor, curled up and resting. This was especially odd since Ash didn't recall ever taking Pikachu home. He then reached down to lift his Pokémon off the floor, but a small orb gained his immediate attention.

"Now isn't the time for that," Ash announced. "My headache barely allows my mind to think, let alone concentrate. Besides, I'm sure everything's fine."

* * *

 _\- Pewter City -_

"I don't get it! What's wrong?" Brock furiously yelled.

He had been examining Gyarados for days and hadn't made any progress creating a valid diagnosis. Such a case had never occurred before and that fact he couldn't help his friend in her time of need made the situation even more infuriating. Suddenly he heard his office phone ring.

"Doctor we have someone here who needs your immediate assistance." His receptionist announced.

"I'll be right over." Brock answered.

He hurried over to the waiting room and immediately got down to business.

"Alright who needs my help?" Brock asked.

"That young kid. He says he knows you." His receptionist replied.

She pointed towards a boy with glasses. He looked to be about ten or eleven with a green shirt, cargo shorts, and a familiar face.

"Max?"

"Brock I need your help. No, all of Petalburg needs your help." Max anxiously replied.

"Slow down Max. I'll definitely help you guys, just explain the situation to me." Brock proclaimed.

"Okay, you see a few weeks ago my Treecko came down with a bad cold. However, for some reason the cold wouldn't go away so we took it to a hospital, but they couldn't help much either. Then, just recently more Pokémon throughout Petalburg began coming down with similar symptoms and doctors can't help them out either. You're the best doctor I know Brock. Please, will come back to Hoenn with me and help all our Pokémon in need?" Max desperately asked.

Brock thought long and hard about this question. He definitely wanted to help his old friend out, but leaving for Hoenn would put a halt on his studies regarding Misty's Gyarados. A Pokémon that he promised would be well under his care. Brock was painfully torn by such a decision, but he knew he would have to act fast.

* * *

\- _Back with Ash -_

By the middle of the day Ash was beginning to shake off the hangover, but its presence continued to irritate Ash. He remained mostly in bed the whole day, but was forced to answer the door at the sound of a simple knock.

"I'm coming, you don't have to knock so loud." Ash announced.

Ash opened to door and was surprised when he saw Dante casually standing on the doorstep. As soon as the door opened Dante began examining Ash's appearance. Ash's red eyes, messy hair, and sluggish demeanor showed all the effects of a common hangover.

"Dante? What are you doing here?" Ash asked.

"It looks like you've seen better days." Dante commented.

"Yeah, for some reason I woke up feeling really sick and my head has been bothering me the whole day. As you can see it has taken some of energy out of my usual self." Ash replied.

"It definitely has. Anyways, I came to notify you that battling practice begins soon and as a Pokémon Master you are expected to participate." Dante informed Ash.

"I understand and I'll definitely be there. Where and when should I get there by?" Ash asked.

"Be at the stadium in an hour. Take multiple Pokémon this time."

"Alright, I'll be there," Ash responded. "Also, can you sort of fill me in on what went down last night? My mind is kind of blurry at the moment."

"Not much really went down. You played a few rounds of roulette, left your Pikachu at the day care, had a few drinks, and you eventually passed out on the floor of the Casino." Dante informed.

Ash began to feel a little embarrassed of his actions. Especially since he had done all this infront of his colleague.

"Wait if I passed out on the casino floor, then how come I woke up in my bed?" Ash asked.

"I called Gold and told him to drive you guys home. How he got into your house to drop you off at your room is beyond me." Dante answered.

"Okay, at least I didn't do anything I would regret later."

With those words Ash closed the door and exhaled as he thought about Pokémon battling in his conditions.

"I'm too sick to battle at my fullest capacity. Heck I can barely think without feeling this stupid headache, let alone think off the top of my feet. I'll have to try though." Ash said to himself.

* * *

 _\- 1 Hour Later -_

Ash had arrived at the stadium at the nick of time. He decided to leave Pikachu behind for this one, he never enjoyed waking Pikachu up when he slumbered. Ash was surprised when he saw the rest of the Pokémon Masters already there, stretching along with their Pokémon. These Pokémon ranged from Dennis' three headed beast to Alec's lean, brawny varmint. Yet what surprised Ash most was the moderately sized crowd in the stands.

"About time you arrived," Dante abruptly announced surprising Ash. "I was starting to think you wouldn't show up."

After taking a moment to compose himself, Ash responded to Dante's comment.

"I was right on time so don't get on my case," Ash replied. "Also, would you mind telling me why there's a crowd here?"

"Well most people generally find it entertaining to watch the strongest trainers in the universe train with one another, whether it be an official match or not." Dante informed Ash.

Once Dante and Ash stepped onto the battlefield, the rest of the Pokémon Masters gathered around them.

"Listen up fellow Masters," Dante announced. "We'll battle in turns, starting with me against our newcomer Ash."

The rest of the Masters quickly agreed and headed for the sidelines leaving Ash and Dante alone in the middle of the battlefield.

"Ready Ash? I won't be going down so easily this time."

With those words Dante hurried towards his end of the field and Ash walked towards his end.

"Slithix let's show him true power!" Dante announced as he threw Slithix's Poké Ball onto the field. The black serpent creature appeared on the field with its empirical eyes attracting the attention from many.

"Charizard I choose you!" Ash yelled.

Ash's trusted Fire lizard appeared onto scene and let out its signature roar. The two stared each other down for a moment before attacking.

"Charizard use Steel Wing!"

Charizard abruptly flew directly towards the serpent with its wings charged up and its sights set.

"Slithix use Radiate!"

Slithix's eyes began glimmering to the point that it attracted the attention of all. Charizard continued to move towards the serpent, but found its body coming to a halt in the air. Charizard could no longer move as all its focus went towards examining the serpent's eyes.

"Charizard close your eyes and keep attacking." Ash commanded.

Charizard did as asked and soon began hurdling towards Slithix again.

"Slithix dodge and use Consume."

Slithix easily dodge Charizard's blind causing Charizard to head flying into sidelines. Slithix took the opportunity to launch itself towards Charizard, further pushing the lizard against the sideline wall. Then the serpent shoved its tail against Charizard's body and began glowing as it drained Charizard of its energy.

Ash's move had backfired so much that he began internally punishing himself for making such a dumb move out of panic. Something he usually never does. His headache had just grown exponentially.

"Charizard push it aside with your Flamethrower."

Charizard let out a soft burst of fire, but couldn't manage to unleash the full force of a usual Flamethrower attack.

"Slithix that's enough. We've taken more than enough for our next move."

Slithix removed its tail from Charizard's body and backed off a bit. Charizard got up slowly and struggled to catch its breath.

"You know Ash, you should feel fortunate." Dante announced.

"Why is that?" Ash responded.

"Not many get to witness a true phenomenon," Dante proclaimed. "I'm sure you've never seen a Pokémon extract energy from an opponent for purposes beyond healing."

Dante had gained the attention of all in the stadium with his last remark. Dante smirked as everyone awaited his continuation.

Ash anxiously stared down Dante. He didn't want to imagine what Dante's intentions were, but would have been lying had he claimed he was not at least partially excited.

"Slithix, show them the capability of supplementary energy. Evolve!"

 **Ehh, I'm too lazy to comment on the plot or ask meaningless questions. Remember to Review.**


	10. The Nightmare Evolution

**IT's Wednesday again. You know what that means.**

Slithix's body had begun to glow as the evolution process was in full effect.

Ash's mind had been taken into shock as he witnessed a true phenomenon occur right before his very eyes.

Slithix's body morphed into a larger, but relatively similar shape as the evolutionary process concluded. When the serpent revealed its new form, the most striking outcome of the evolution was its newly developed bone-like exoskeleton that covered its body from head to tail. The serpent retained its jet black pigment, but had grown to be about fifteen feet in length and added a few inches in thickness as well. The serpent's new appearance was capped off by a crest of fire that covered its head.

"Ash, fellow Masters, I would like to introduce you to Basvixen." Dante proudly announced.

Everyone in the stadium with the gift of sight looked over at Dante and Basvixen in awe. Never had such a display ever been done or at least never in public. A long moment of silence developed as all minds continued to process the event.

Ash couldn't take his eyes of the scene either. To him, the situation had clearly gone from bad to worse. Anxiety quickly filled his mind as he began to imagine the inevitable beating his Charizard would take at the hands of such an unpredictable opponent.

"Well Ash? Would you do the honors of attacking first?" Dante asked.

"Charizard get up, but don't attack."

Charizard slowly picked itself up from the previous attack, but seemed hardly phased. While Ash had concern occupying his mind, all Charizard felt was excitement.

"What's wrong? Are you, dare I say, afraid?" Dante asked.

Charizard's heart was definitely pumping after those words. The flying lizard began reading its wings for an immediate attacked.

"Don't let him get to you Charizard. The last thing we want is him messing with our heads." Ash yelled.

Ash wasn't falling for Dante's mind games. As much as Basvixen's powers pierced fear into Ash's eyes, he knew how important it was for him to maintain his complexity.

"Very well then, we'll attack first. Basvixen use Double Edge!" Dante commanded.

Basvixen rushed towards Charizard and launched its body in the direction of Charizard.

"Charizard use your Steel Wing to protect yourself!" Ash commanded.

Charizard readied its wings and quickly covered the majority of its body with them. Basvixen's momentum would not be stopped however as it easily broke through Charizard's defense and sent the lizard hurdling across the battlefield.

"Charizard are you okay?" Ash asked in a concerned tone.

After just one attack Charizard seemed to be down for the count. It laid on the battlefield wincing in pain and attempting to get back up. Ash knew the battle might've already been over, but he knew his Charizard had a certain fighting spirit that had shown up in difficult situations before. Still, he didn't want to force.

"Charizard stay down if you've had enough. There's no shame in losing. However, if you still want to keep going, show me that fighting spirit. Give me a sign." Ash stated.

It wasn't long until Charizard's adrenaline kicked in, and the mighty Pokémon had gotten back up, ready for another round.

Dante wasn't the least bit surprised. A Pokémon Master's warrior would never be defeated by such a basic move. Especially one that was trained by Ash.

"Knock that lizard out with Extreme Speed." Dante ordered.

"Defend yourself with Steel Wing once more." Ash commanded.

Confusion quickly brewed up within all those in attendance. Even Basvixen was a bit surprised when it saw Charizard take that very same stance, causing the serpent to slightly hesitate.

Charizard covered itself as quickly as it could. Once again bracing itself for impact. The Extreme Speed attacked fast, but Basvixen's hesitation gave Ash the window he needed.

"Charizard open your wings and hold on to Basvixen when it hits you."

In the nick of time Charizard opened its wings and was able to grab hold of Basvixen's moving body. While Basvixen continued to push Charizard further and further back, Charizard continued to hold on for dear life.

"Basvixen don't let up and drive that lizard through the walls!" Dante instructed.

Basvixen kept pushing Charizard closer and closer towards the boundary walls, but slowly began losing speed as the serpent tired out. Both Charizard and Ash knew they had Basvixen and Dante right where they wanted them.

"Now Charizard crush that serpent with Seismic Toss!" Ash commanded.

Charizard suddenly lifted Basvixen off the ground and flew up high in the sky.

Most of the Pokémon Masters were in disbelief with how quickly Ash had turned the tables. Ash was in exhilaration mode as he knew his plan had worked out perfectly. Dante looked up with the sternest face of all, he was not the least bit concerned.

Charizard quickly ascended past the stadium's open roof and in a matter of moments was several hundred feet above the ground. Charizard knew it was time to deliver its one and final blow.

"Basvixen use your tail to pull Charizard's head towards your eyes," Dante stated. "Then give the lizard your signature Death Glare!"

At the peak of their ascent, Basvixen was able to curl its tail around Charizard's head and immediately pull the lizard's head down. Charizard's head was brought down to meet with Basvixen's eyes. These eyes concentrated on Charizard and before long began illuminating an extraordinary shiny that seemed to momentarily engulf Charizard into the endless void within Basvixen's glare. Charizard let go of serpent and the two Pokémon began to fall back down to the stadium.

"Charizard!" Ash cried.

Terror raced through his body as he saw his Pokémon come hurdling back down.

"Basvixen use Double Edge to end this."

Basvixen quickly straightened its body and launched its body once more towards Charizard. This time there nothing Charizard could do to protect itself. The impact sent Charizard crashing into the battlefield and left Basvixen in the air, falling at an adjusted rate. Basvixen would also end up hitting the ground with force, but the serpent was cable of getting back up. Charizard on the other hand, was not.

Ash hurried over towards his fallen Pokémon and saw that damage the battle had left one of his loyalist companions. A tear dropped from Ash's eye as he realized Charizard was out cold. All because of him.

The rest of the Pokémon Masters watched in worry as Ash tended to Charizard. Never had any of these people seen a fall so bural.

Dante interestedly watched the scene unfold as well. He felt a feeling of deja vu as he remembered their previous battle. While in no way did Dante feel any kind of remorse, he knew his actions might've just changed the way Ash viewed him. A problem that needed fixing immediately.

"Your Pokémon is in need of immediate treatment. Take him to our medical facilities and I assure you he'll be back stronger than ever sooner than later. I promise." Dante proclaimed as he approached Ash.

Ash quickly wiped a few tears and gathered himself.

"I hope you're right about that. I better get going now." Ash announced as he recalled Charizard back into its Poké Ball and left the stadium.

Dante turned to the rest of the Masters and looked at them with a devilish smile. A smile that struck fear within every soul present.

"So, who's my next challenger?"

 **Ouch. Looks like Ash and Charizard may have bitten off a little more than they could chew.**


	11. The Black Stone

**Sorry for being a few days late with the chapter, but it's after a few minor adjustments it's here.**

Dante sat on the sidelines observing the battle between Jewel's hedgehog Pokémon, Sparclie, and Carter's star-like Pokémon, Solking. A true back and forth indeed. However, it seemed as if Dante was the only spectator not entertained by battle. Frankly, he saw the battle being poorly executed and the overall strength of both Pokémon comical at best. He momentarily looked at Basvixen's Poké Ball and then looked back at the battle

" _With you alone I could win every battle,"_ Dante thought. " _However, when I unlock your true form, there's no telling I could do. I can already sense your endless amount of strength begging to be released once more. The question is no longer if, but when."_

* * *

 **(With Ash)**

Ash had fallen asleep next to Charizard's bed. It had been an eventful day that started with Ash experiencing his first hangover and led to his Charizard receiving the most vicious beating of its life. While Charizard's injuries were not life-threatening, the road to recovery would be a long process. However, the idea of Charizard eventually regaining its strength and passion was all Ash needed to make it through the night with optimistic dreams.

Ash awoke in the early morning with a smile on his face. A smile that quickly disappear when he saw Charizard hooked up to machines. The guilt that Ash had felt the previous day arose once again. At that moment Ash's attention turned to the doctor who had just walked into the room.

"Hello Mr. Ketchum, I'm d

Doctor Edwards. How are you feeling?" Dr. Edwards asked.

"Fine I guess, but I'm more concerned with how Charizard is feeling." Ash confessed.

"Then you'll be glad to know that after further examination of Charizard's injuries, we've concluded that Charizard will definitely make a full recovery in a relatively short period of time. Five to six weeks to be more exact." Dr. Edwards informed.

"Are you serious?" A surprised Ash asked.

"I'm completely serious. The treatments we have available are second to none in the universe and we pride ourselves on making the road to recovery as easy and quick as possible."

Joy and relief instantly filled Ash's body. He instinctively wanted to hug Charizard but restrained himself when he saw the large amounts of tubes and machinery hooked up to his Pokémon.

"Since we have everything under control here, I recommend you go out to the city and continue living your life. I promise you we will have your Charizard good to go sooner than later." Dr. Edwards commented.

"Okay, I have full faith in you doctor and please notify me if Charizard's condition changes." Ash stated.

"Will do Mr. Ketchum." Dr. Edwards responded.

After Ash had left the hospital, he took a moment to ponder over what he should do next. However, only one thought actually came to mind.

" _Pikachu!" Ash thought. "I left Pikachu sleeping at home yesterday and still haven't returned. Something tells me he won't be so happy when he see's me. I'll have to bring him something so that he won't be overly livid when I arrive. Now the question becomes, what should I get him?"_

Ash didn't have to think about this question too long.

" _Food!"_ Ash instantly thought.

Ash was quick to scan his area for any restaurants or food stands, but he saw no such thing around his current location.

"They have to have food somewhere over here." Ash said to himself.

At that moment, Ash noticed a small, pale boy wearing a black robe pass by with a basket filled of fruits, vegetables, and frozen meat.

"Excuse me," Ash said. "Would you mind telling me where you bought that food?"

Instead of answering, the boy took off sprinting and left Ash dumbstruck. After taking a moment to comprehend what just happened, Ash noticed the boy had dropped a golden amulet. Ash picked up the amulet and ran after the boy.

" _I'll just give him his amulet back, grab some quick food for Pikachu, and then head back home."_ Ash thought.

Ash followed the boy's path, but had a difficult time catching up due to the masses of bodies walking the streets. Just as Ash was about to give up and simply hand over the amulet to the police, he saw a small figure run through the street and was headed towards an alley. Ash had to assume this was that same boy.

"Hey kid stop." Ash called out.

The boy once again turned to runaway, but found that the alley was a dead end.

"Please don't hurt me!" The boy cried.

"I'm not going to hurt you." Ash proclaimed.

The boy continued to cringe in fear however. He believed none of Ash's words and still expected a harsh form of punishment.

"You dropped this," Ash claimed as he held out the amulet. "It looked valuable, I thought you would want it back."

The boy stopped cringing and began examining the amulet. He hadn't even realized he dropped the amulet until that moment. He slowly grabbed the amulet from Ash's hand and inspected it.

"Thank you so much. I don't know what I would've done had you not brought it to me."

"Your welcome, but may I ask why you ran away and thought I was going to hurt you?"

"Well, most people would turn punish me for violating territorial boundaries." The boy confessed.

"What territorial boundaries?" Ash asked.

The boy was shocked that Ash did not know about this. This was practically social law throughout in Maiestas.

"You know, it isn't customary for Compleo natives to step foot in Maiestas." The boy informed Ash.

Ash recalled seeing other natives when he entered the casino. So why were the allowed in Maiestas? Also, why had he not heard of such a law?

"Look I can explain more later, but right now I really have to be getting back to my tribe. So, I was wondering if you could help me exit the city without being spotted by any of the cameras?"

"What cameras?" Ash asked in response.

The boy was even more shocked that Ash had never noticed the thousands of camera's scattered all over Maiestas. He began to wonder if Ash was either new to Maiestas or just blind. Either way, Ash could be useful.

"I'll explain things later, but right now I really just need to leave the city and give deliver this food to my tribe. So, will you help me or not?"

Ash pondered the question for a moment. The boy could be a criminal who is trying to escape the city to run away from the authorities. However, Ash always went off of his gut feeling, not logic.

"What do you need to me to do?" Ash asked in response.

The boy was overjoyed when he heard those words leave Ash's mouth. It was not often someone agreed to help him or his people in general.

"All I need you to do is let me hide in your traveling bag and then you'll walk out of the city limits casually." The boy proposed.

"Are you sure you can fit? I mean there's not much room here and you're carrying a basket too." Ash remarked.

"I'll be fine, but you'll need to carry my basket."

Ash simply nodded and the two began their plan. Ash was blown away with how the boy was able to force himself into such a small area, an area that usually only his Pikachu could fit into. Once he was inside and the bag was closed, Ash started to walk out the alley and straight through the streets. He knew the city well enough to find a quick way out and sure enough with fifteen minutes the two had left Maiestas. The plan worked perfectly as nothing had seemed to follow them.

"Well you're plan worked perfectly." Ash commented as he unzipped the bag.

The boy got out of the bag eagerly as he realized he had just pulled it off.

"Thank you very much," The boy stated. "Here, you should have this."

The boy reached into his pocket and pulled out a black stone. He handed it over to Ash and let him observe it.

The stone was carbon black and extremely jagged. What caught Ash's attention however, was the red serpent designed on the bottom of the stone and the tiny words written next to the design. Ash couldn't figure out what words said however, they seemed to be in a different language.

"I guess I should be heading back now."

"Wait!" Ash yelled. "Before you go, you have some explaining to do."

 **Author's note: In the upcoming chapters I will be including many more of your created Pokémon, but I cannot guarantee they will be used for the sole purpose of battling. Infact they might actually be used in ways you may not have intended them to be. So if you have any objections to this please leave your comment in your reviews. Thank you and see you next time.**


	12. A New Mission

**A one day delay from my usual weekly update. Oh well, I'll try to stay true to weekly updates next time I guess.**

The young boy stopped in his tracks and turned around to face Ash. He gave Ash a cold glare that would've given Basvixen the chills.

"What do you want to know?" The boy asked.

The boy's demeanor startled Ash at first, but eventually Ash regained his composure and pondered his question. On one hand Ash wanted all aspects of the situation clarified. Ideally, this would involve everything from who he was to the mysterious black stone. On the other hand Ash knew he didn't have the time to hear all of it. After all, he still had to return to Pikachu and couldn't bare to waste more time than necessary. The thought of his Pikachu remaining in solitary eventually lead to this question being far easier than expected.

"I'm short on time so I only have two questions for you," Ash informed the boy. "First question: why you were in so eager to exit the city when it seemed as if all you had done was buy some food?"

"I can tell you're not from here. You see as a native neither I, nor my people, are legally allowed in Maiestas. We are forced to remain in our confined area. So, had I been caught, I would've been arrested and sent to a juvenile prison. " The boy explained.

"Then why would you take such a risk?" Ash asked confused by the situation.

The boy took moment to look back at the city before answering.

"Because people in my village are starving," The boy confessed. "Years of famine in my area have done all but wipe our corpses off the planet. The land gives us nothing, the city gives us nothing, we have basically been living off of scraps for generations now. I don't know about you, but I am not going to stand by as my parents starve to death."

The boy's words hit Ash hard. Since the moment he got there all he had seen on this planet is prosperity and the utmost unity. Now his earlier theory had been proved true. However, it would be incredibly premature and illogical to believe one source. Especially when that source is a kid.

"Just out of curiosity, how old are you?" Ash asked.

"I'm nine years old. People here grow up fast." The boy responded.

This left Ash with one final question.

"What's this stone?"

"To be honest, I don't know," The boy commented. "I found it outside the village and thought it look cool, but my father told me that the stone was far too powerful for anyone of us to control. I planned to keep it anyways, but I figured that the stone may be worth a decent price for a decent person like you."

Ash took another close look at the stone. Besides its majestic designs the stone looked like nothing special. It felt like a piece of coal with an more rigid texture than usual. However, the design itself looked authentic enough to convince Ash it must be worth something. Before Ash could look back at the boy's presence was long gone. Leaving Ash outside the city and hurrying to head back to his Pikachu.

* * *

 _(Two hours later)_

"Pikachu Please! I said I was sorry!" Ash yelled as he dodged a thunderbolt.

Pikachu was livid. He had been left unattended and felt lonely as his trainer was away. The worst part was that without Ash he didn't have anyone to feed him, nor could he figure out how to open his food cans. Now he needed to make Ash pay.

"Pikachu come on! Show some remorse for your idiot trainer!" Ash pleaded.

Pikachu wasn't listening. In his eyes, Ash had forgotten about him.

"PikaaaChuuu!" Pikachu roared as he struck Ash with a powerful thunderbolt.

"I have to admit, of all the thunderbolts you've hit me with, that one hurt the most."

Ash collapsed to the floor and was left barely conscious.

"PikaaaChuuu!"

Pikachu struck Ash again with another thunderbolt, this time jolting the trainer awake.

"Thanks Pikachu," Ash said weakly. "I knew you couldn't torture me forever. Can you ever forgive me?"

"Pika," Pikachu said annoyed.

Pikachu then jumped on to Ash's lap and hugged him tightly. He couldn't stay angry at his trainer forever.

"Thank you Pikachu. I promise I won't do it again."

The two continued to hug for a moment until they heard a knock on the door.

"Who could that be?" Ash asked.

Ash headed to the door and was surprised when he saw his fellow member of the committee, Julius at the doorstep.

"Julius, what are you doing here?" Ash asked.

Julius didn't respond because he was more interested in Ash's condition.

"What happened to you?" Julius asked.

At that moment Ash realized his hair was still a mess from the thunderbolts, he had several cuts along his face, and his clothes were burned to a great extent.

"It's a long story."

"Whatever, you're coming with me on a mission, so follow me to my car." Julius ordered.

"What mission?" Ash asked.

"The mission where we collect our paychecks. I explain along the way, but right now all we need to get going." Julius explained.

"Okay, but first I need to get someone."

Ash quickly ran back into his room and picked up Pikachu.

"I'm not leaving you behind this time." Ash stated.

Pikachu was confused by the situation, but refused to make much of it as he was just grateful he was staying by his trainer.

"Alright, we're ready to go." Ash declared.

"Follow me to my car."

Ash followed Julius to his long, slick silver car and entered the vehicle. The exterior of the vehicle was steel hard and firm. The interior wasn't as impressive as Dante's car, but had some stylish features as well. The business like atmosphere gave Ash a few chills, but hardly phased him.

"So what do you mean by collecting our 'paychecks'?" Ash asked.

"Ash, how do you think the city can afford to pay us like kings and have enough wealth to support our city upon a hill?" Julius asked.

"I have no idea." Ash confessed.

"Well then, prepare to be enlightened."

 **What does Julius have planned for Ash? What is with that Black Stone? Who is the native boy? Where is Dante on all this?**

 **Take your best guesses on those questions. I want to see what you guys think.**


	13. The Cyclops

**I'm late again, I know.**

"Let me tell you a little something about life," Julius stated. "Everything has and needs its price. Its essential to survival."

"I'll have to stop you there," Ash interrupted. "I've gone my whole life without any financial difficulties. Even when I traveled the regions of Earth, my friends and I usually avoided relying on money to get around."

"That's because you lived on Earth," Julius replied. "Earth's wild Pokémon and natural disasters are trivial compared to the rest of the galaxy. This holds especially true here on Compleo. Let your guard down and I can guarantee you'll run into an extreme storm or a vicious demon."

Ash took a moment to think about such situations. Throughout his travels, he certainly has encountered storms, dangerous legendaries, and evil organizations. So, it was difficult for him to comprehend a danger that would make Earth's peril seem minor.

"Trust me Ash, without our protection this world would be in ruins." Julius claimed.

"If trouble occurs so often, then why do we not train those who are threatened to survive and overcome such obstacles?" Ash asked. "That way they would save money by no longer requiring protection."

Instead of answering, Julius pushed the brake as hard as he could to bring his car to an immediate halt.

"That's why." Julius announced as he pointed towards a thirty foot tall creature, menacingly towering over a small village.

Ash took a closer look at the creature and saw that it only had one, large eye. Also astonishing was the striking resemblance it had with a human, containing large arms and fingers and even had a similar structure to humans.

"Trust me when I say that no training would help against these monsters," Julius proclaimed. "Now, get out of the car and take care of this beast."

Julius opened the passenger door and watched Ash and Pikachu as they slowly exited the vehicle. Just as Julius was about to leave, Ash stuck his head through the car window.

"Wait, where are you going?"

"I'm going to drive into the village and rescue people who have been trapped or endangered. You will use your Pokémon to defeat this beast, understand?" Julius asked.

Ash nodded and Julius drove off into the village. Lucky for Ash had brought the right combination of Pokémon to bring any creature down.

"Pikachu are you ready?" Ash asked.

"Pika!"

"Good. Okay Talonflame, Glalie, and Snorlax I choose you!" Ash announced.

Ash tossed three Poké Balls into the air and out came his fire-type hawk, ice-type spherical Pokémon, and normal-type sleeping Pokémon.

"We need to get that beast away from the village. Okay Pikachu use Electro Ball to grab its attention." Ash commanded.

Pikachu did as ordered and launched an long distance Electro Ball. The attack struck the beast in the back of its head and quickly attracted attention. The beast turned around ever slowly and began to turn cherry red.

"Yes! We got its full attention now."

In an instant the beast turned dark red and charged towards Ash, catching him by surprise.

"Oh no," Ash stated. "We may have overdid it a little guys."

Ash took a moment to consider his options, but with every thought going by the beast came closer and closer. So much so that the ground beneath Ash began to rumble causing him to lose his balance.

"Glalie use Ice Beam on the ground." Ash commanded.

Glalie shot its Ice Beam all over the ground and quickly turned the area into an ice ring. The beast couldn't keep its balance on such a slippery terrain and tumbled towards the ground. The fall shook the terrain even more, this time causing Ash and Pikachu to both fall over.

"Pikachu jump onto Talonflame's back and fly into the air. Glalie use Ice Beam on its limbs."

Talonflame lowered its altitude to allow Pikachu to jump onto its back before taking off into the sky. Glalie meanwhile shot its Ice Beam towards the beast's arms and then towards its legs. The beast, realizing Ash's plan to immobilize him, shook and twisted its body in any way it could in an attempt break free from its chains. Its attempts were futile. Ash had an unrecognizable grin as he saw he had the beast right where he wanted.

"Talonflame use Fire Blast! Pikachu use Thunder!"

Pikachu shot a huge Thunder attack. Talonflame shot its daunting Fire Blast. The two blast circled around each other as they approached the crippled beast. All the beast could do was close its eye and await for the impact.

* * *

(With Julius)

Julius searched all around the village looking for the leader. Eventually he found him trapped underneath his collapsed home.

"Someone please help me!" The leader cried out.

The leader closed his eyes, awaiting his death in the very home he was born in. Suddenly, he felt a the weight of his house being lifted and he opened his eyes. Unfortunately, he was very familiar with his savior.

"Julius," The leader said weakly.

Julius grabbed him by the collar and lifted him up into the air.

"Listen, I saved your life and my fellow partner saved your village. I feel you'll need to play double." Julius barked.

"Oh, I am afraid we don't have enough to pay you at the moment." The leader responded.

"What do you mean you won't pay us?" Julius angrily asked.

"We simply don't have the money. Please, just give us a few more months. We'll pay you double. No, we'll pay you triple of what you want." The leader pleaded.

"Although I like the idea of triple pay, I've always preferred our clients to pay up front." Julius stated.

"Okay fine, I hope you find comfort in the fact that you'll send us into an endless depression. After this we may not ever have enough money to pay you ever again." The leader admitted.

"You say that every time."

* * *

(Unknown Location)

Gold and Dante watched over the footage many cameras they had throughout Compleo. However, all their attention was taken by the spy camera they had on Ash.

"Not bad for his first time, right Dante?" Gold asked.

Dante didn't respond. Gold noticed Dante's eyes were glued to something else in the frame.

"What are you staring at?" Gold asked.

"The rock that just fell out of Ash's pocket." Dante replied.

"Here, let me zoom in for a closer look." Gold stated.

After zooming in, the black stone that Ash had been carrying around was in full view.

"Could it be?"

 **Could what be?**


	14. This Is Fun

**Ok, I know that I was really late with this chapter(almost 2 weeks) but at least it's up now.**

"Could what be, sir?" Gold asked.

"The treasure of my lifelong search. That's what, Gold." Dante answered.

"You're referring to the stone, right?"

"Yes,"

Gold took a moment to process this. Never once had he ever heard of Dante's 'lifelong' pursuit from anyone. In fact, to Gold the stone looked like nothing more than a piece of coal that had some odd design engraves in it. However, knowing Dante's knowledge, the stone must be something spectacular.

"Sir, may I ask what is so significant about this stone?" Gold asked.

"No Gold, you may not. Such information is only relevant to me and my family." Dante replied.

Dante's response caught Gold completely off guard. Dante had never been one to keep secrets from him. So that fact such information was being held classified, was bizarre to say the least.

"Well, alright then." Gold responded.

After a long period of silence. Gold left the room and left Dante in his observations. Dante would remain, staring at the screen, for another hour. All of his attention however, was focused on how to snatch the stone from Ash.

" _Would Ash just hand the stone over if I asked? I mean, he trusts me and all that, but perhaps he already knows of the stone's powers. If that's the case. then it would be impossible to convince him to hand it over. In any case, it would be wise to acquire the stone without confrontation. I guess my best bet would still be to ask him for it, then if the situation becomes hostile I'll have to take it with force. Either way, I'm sure the end results should justify any actions I take."_ Dante thought.

* * *

Ash simply stood there, observing the fallen beast. A new feeling arose from defeating such a menacing creature. A new sense of control. Specifically, control over even the most terrifying of beings.

"That felt, _great_." Ash said to himself.

"Pika!" Pikachu said as he jumped onto Ash's shoulder.

"To think I once tried to catch a Pokémon with my shirt. Now, we can take down the strongest with ease." Ash commented.

"Pika!"

"Take a break guys. After what we just did, you deserve it." Ash said.

Ash quickly recalled his Pokémon back into their Poké Balls and was left with alone with Pikachu and the fallen beast. Ash was quite pleased with his actions. Which was strange since he never enjoyed hurting another being like he had just done to the one-eyed creature. Ash's moment of accomplishment lasted for a relatively long period of time, but was ultimately interrupted when he noticed someone drive by.

"Hey Ash," Julius shouted as he arrived in his car. "Looks like our job here is done."

Julius stepped outside of the vehicle and immediately looked over at the unconscious creature.

"Looks like you did a fine job considering this was your first time. Of course, I can't say this was the hardest task." Julius commented.

"You mean there are monsters that are more difficult to take down than this one? That sounds a little fun." Ash enthusiastically claimed.

Ash's words surprised Julius a bit. Of course he agreed with the idea of this work being fun, but he assumed it would take a while before Ash truly enjoyed these actions.

"I guess you could say that. Although these things stop being fun after a while." Julius commented.

Julius then took out a pure black Poké Ball with and threw it towards the creature.

"Wait, those things are Pokémon?" Ash asked.

"Well, technically they are Pokémon. However, these Pokémon are known as Cyclopes and while they were once moderately peaceful beings, a genetic mutation has turned them into overgrown savages with no regard for human or any other life." Julius said.

Julius comments were demoralizing to Ash. He had no problem taking down a being of evil, but learning that Cyclopes were once Pokémon seemed to make him feel a large amount regret. Julius noticed the change in Ash's moral and decided to move Ash away from the sympathy aspect of the situation.

"Listen Ash," Julius said. "These Cyclopes are not what they used to be. Sure, they might've been peaceful and innocent in the past, but we have to focus on the here and now. We have to focus on providing the people of Compleo with the security they rightfully deserve."

"I think I understand. So, are you keeping the Cyclopes?" Ash asked.

"No," Julius quickly answered. "I will simply take the Cyclops to our lab in order to conduct more research on these Pokémon. Step back inside my car and we'll head back."

Ash did just that and headed over to Julius' car. As he approached the vehicle, Ash noticed a large chest overflowing with silver and gold coins in the back.

"Wow, when you said we get paid well you weren't kidding." Ash commented.

"This is just the beginning. I was actually disappointed that we didn't get more out of the village, but we can't take too much from a struggling village so I guess I'm should be satisfied." Julius proclaimed.

"Well it's good to know the village is safe and will be at least given a chance to survive thanks your leniency." Ash proclaimed.

"I suppose this calls for celebration. Tell me Ash, have you tried our various beverages yet?"

"Some, but certainly not all of them."

"Have you ever had beverages with alcohol in them?"

"Yea, I went drinking with Dante one night and I can certainly say that was a new experience for me. I admit, drinking isn't a bad way of having fun, but I'm not sure if I'm willing to withstand the hangover yet." Ash answered.

"How about we try something new then?" Julius asked.

"What do you have in mind?" Ash asked.

"I'm suggesting we use a small amount of our money to buy a few rounds of the most desirable substance in the universe?" Julius asked.

Ash took a moment to think about Julius' suggestion. He wouldn't mind having fun again, but Ash had to consider the consequences. Particularly, consequences relating to his Pikachu.

"Where would I put my Pikachu? The last time I left him alone I wounded up not seeing him for a few days and I promised him I wouldn't do such a thing again." Ash declared.

"Oh, I doubt you'll need to leave Pikachu anywhere this time. Trust me Ash, there will be something for everyone where we are going."

 **I going to use this author's note as a chance to clear up a few things. First, your Pokémon that you submitted will be used, I know most of them haven't been used yet, but they will be in the near future. Second, I know I always leave you guys with cliff hangers(I think I've done that every chapter) so I just want to inform you that I'll be reducing the number of cliff hangers I use. This is simply because I feel it is unfair to be left on a cliff hanger and have to wait an extended period of time to find out what happens next because I am not staying consistent on updating. Lastly, I urge you to bare with my slow pacing, because soon there will be a series of critical chapters that I wouldn't want you to miss because you were bored of the lack of action.**

 **That's all.**


	15. With Power, Comes Happiness

**Instead of apologizing each time that I am late with an update, I'm say that I update every one to two weeks now.**

"Ah, that hits the spot." Ash announced as he inhaled the fumes of his bong.

"That it does Ash." Julius stated in agreement.

While the two were enjoying their relaxation, Pikachu felt uncomfortable and uneasy with his trainer's mellow demeanor. Pikachu wasn't fond of the amount of smoke in the air either.

"To think you get to come home and relax in a great room like this. Man, you're a lucky man." Ash informed Julius.

"I know I am. Perks like this make leaving home worth it." Julius commented.

"I know what you mean. It's always tough to leave the place where you've grown up and made friends, but spending time here gives me a new sense fulfillment and I don't even know why." Ash responded.

"How are your folks anyway?" Julius asked.

"I'm sure they're having a pretty good time too."

* * *

 **\- With Brock -**

"What do you think Brock? Is there anything you can do?" Max asked as he gazed towards his fatigued Treecko.

"I'm not sure Max," Brock admitted. "Treecko's condition is similar to Misty's Gyarados. To be honest, I'm stumped."

Brock's honesty threw daggers into Max's young heart. The thought of his very first Pokémon dying was torturing his poor soul. Tears were brewing in his eyes from the thought.

"Don't you dare lose hope though," Brock claimed. "I may not be able to help now, but I'll work day and night with my colleagues to solve this predicament for you, Misty, and any other Pokémon who comes down with this pathogen. Right now the important thing is to isolate Treecko and prevent the pathogen from spreading to other Pokémon."

"Where are you going to take Treecko?" Max asked with tears in his eyes.

"I already have Misty's Gyarados placed in a special facility we have in Kanto, I think Treecko should be kept in the same facility so we can study the two closer." Brock informed Max.

"Fine, but I'm coming as well so I can stay close to Treecko."

"That's fine, but I urge you to avoid a large amount physical contact with Treecko. We still are not sure whether the pathogen can affect humans too."

Max nodded and immediately recalled Treecko into its Poké Ball. Brock carefully placed the Poké Ball into a special container and quickly headed for the airport with Max.

On the plane ride to Kanto, Brock stayed awake studying the information already collected from Gyarados, but found himself unable to understand the data at all. He eventually put the data to the side and lowered his head into his palms in frustration. Frustration driven by the fact that he felt incapable of helping his friends in their time of need. Brock then looked over to right and observed a sleeping Max.

" _I'll do my best Max, but I honestly don't know whether that means much or not. We can't all be heros. We can't all be like Ash."_ Brock thought before drifting into a much needed sleep.

* * *

 **\- With Ash -**

"So how was life back on your planet?" Ash asked as he opened up another bag of weed.

"Well, living on planet Ares was no heaven that's for sure. Regions were constantly at war with one another for no apparent reason. The difference in social classes was astronomical and me belonging to one of the poorer clans would know something about that. In short, it sucked and I'm so glad I get to be rich now." Julius responded.

"Me too." Ash added.

The two began laughing uncontrollably. Pikachu was frightening by this outburst and began tugging on Ash's jacket to gain his attention.

"Pikachu do you want to have a smoke too?" Ash asked.

Ash recklessly pulled Pikachu from his shoulder and placed him on his lap. He quickly lit his bong and placed it underneath Pikachu's nostrils.

"There you go Pikachu. How you feeling now?" Ash asked.

Pikachu began coughing as soon as he inhaled the fumes and then felt the effects of the weed as Ash placed him on the ground.

"Now run along and play Pikachu." Ash stated.

"Such a cool Pokémon," Julius commented. "Is he strong too?"

"Pikachu's only the strongest electric type in the whole universe!" Ash exclaimed. "He beat Gold's Typhlosion and Dante's Idolon. I bet he could beat any of your Pokémon."

Ash's last statement practically sobered Julius up.

"Is that a challenge?" Julius asked in a more serious tone of voice.

"If you're up to it, then yes." Ash replied.

"Very well, three on three battle, tomorrow night at nine. I'll make it official in the morning so expect a large crowd by your arrival." Julius barked.

"You here that Pikachu? We get to show off our talents to the whole city tomorrow."

"Don't be so confident. You may be strong, but I doubt you'll be able to handle the prime time exposure so smoothly." Julius stated.

"Trust me, I perform better under pressure." Ash responded.

"If you say so. Just know that I when I win, that feeling of power you thrive on will be gone." Julius proclaimed.

"I don't thrive off of power. Do I?" Ash asked.

"Believe me you do. It's only natural though when the stakes are high and you know you're on a level others could only dream to reach. Yet it's at this level when the quest for strength grows exponentially and each loss hurts just a little bit more. One victory could make you the strongest in the universe, yet one loss makes you feel lower than noob trainers. You may not have battled for the strength in the past, heck you may just have battled for fun, but that changes when you realize how close you are to absolute top. Although I am not at Dante's position yet, I imagine the feeling of power and control over all others must be extremely satisfying." Julius explained.

"So what you're saying is that Dante is the person who is at the top of the entire universe?" Ash asked.

"Yes, at least for now." Julius replied.

"Wow, I didn't know that. I can't imagine the reality of being the best at what you do. Knowing that no one else in the universe is better at what you do than you is something that only a handful of people have ever felt. That must be some feeling." Ash commented.

"Well, I think it's best if you get going now. I wouldn't want my opponent to be sleeping on the battlefield." Julius announced.

"Yea, you're probably right."

Ash picked up Pikachu, who had zoned out a while ago sitting in and headed out the door.

"Julius is a pretty smart man isn't he Pikachu."

"Pika,"

"He's right, I do like power. I also am growing fond of the money, control, and pride that goes with it." Ash confessed to himself.

"Pika."

"Yea, I like it a lot."

 **Not much to say right now except, don't miss the next two chapters. They will be important to say the least.**


	16. Competitor or Tyrant?

**Yea, I know I didn't update for two weeks, but complaining won't make updates come any faster. They might in theory, but not really.**

It was a beautiful morning. Birds were chirping, flowers were blooming, and a cool marine breeze was passing by Maiestas. Ash was enjoying the weather as he waited for his Pikachu to wake up and join him.

"Pika pi." Pikachu said as he ran out to meet his trainer.

Ash grinned at the sight of his best friend. He quickly hugged Pikachu and then set him down once more before picking up a big filled with his Poké Balls.

"Alright everyone, come out." Ash said as he released all of his Pokémon at once.

All of his Pokémon from Pikachu to Greninja were now present, awaiting for their trainer to speak.

"Today is the first day of a long, tedious process," Ash informed them. "Today we begin our ascension to the top of the universe."

Ash's second statement left his Pokémon confused and looking at each other for a potential explanation.

"I know you have worked hard for six years to get to the position I hold today: Pokémon Master. However, believe me when I tell you we aren't done. In fact we have only just begun." Ash announced.

At this point all of Ash's Pokémon had their heads tilted and looked at their trainer as if he was insane. All they could do was continue listening.

"We have the opportunity now to cement ourselves as some of the all time greats in the history of the Universe. Listen to me when I say we will earn the legacy as strongest team in existence as we fight our way through fellow Pokémon Masters and dethrone Dante from his place at the top. If we succeed, I can guarantee you that they will write legends about us. We will practically live like kings for the rest of our lives. Everyone looking up at us, benefits of plenty, food that makes my mouth water, and of course, the feeling of accomplishment. Now I'm not going to lie to you, the intensity at which we will work will leave some you exhausted day to day. Also, there's a decent chance injuries will occur during battles since we are battling the best of billions of trainers throughout the cosmos. However we have the one quality that can push us beyond those obstacles: heart. I'm positive that with our ambition and heart we will rewrite the meaning of the word greatness."

Ash's Pokémon erupted in an uproar as they were being inspired by their trainer's vision of the future.

"That all starts today with our battle against Julius. Now, I'm not entirely sure we will be ready for a battle of this magnitude. Afterall, we've only been here for like a month and haven't had much training since. Also we'll be stepping into an atmosphere we've never witnessed back home. However, as I've already said, we have the heart to overcome any obstacles and I'll be damned if I thought for a minute that Julius had enough power to stop our ascension to the top. We have the heart of champions and no one will stop our ascension. Now, if any of you don't want anything to do with our mission, speak now and I will think no less of you." Ash claimed.

A few moments silence broke out within the group. No one said a word, no one moved a muscle.

"I love you guys." Ash said with his signature smile.

The silence ended and a frenzy broke out between Ash's Pokémon. The Pokémon were cheering, jumping around in enthusiasm, and surrounding their trainer. Ash soon felt his weight come off the ground and noticed that his Pokémon were carrying him in the direction of the stadium.

"Guys, I'm sorry to break this to you, but the battle doesn't start until later tonight." Ash said.

His message clearly wasn't heard as his Pokémon continued to carry him towards the stadium and with no signs of slowing down.

"Oh, what the heck? You're going down tonight Julius and Dante, you better know we're coming after you too!" Ash shouted as loud as he could.

The whole scene was breathtaking. Ash's Pokémon carried the trainer all the way to the stadium. They attracted a lot of attention along the way, including the attention of a camera that was being monitored from a discrete location.

* * *

 **(Unknown Location)**

"Well he certainly doesn't lack confidence." Gold commented as he watched the screen.

Dante didn't respond and remained silent as he watched the scene unfold.

"Sir, if I may ask, what are you supposed to do now?" Gold asked. "I mean the whole purpose of exposing to the party life was to lower his threat to you, but now he's targeting you more than ever."

Dante once again remained silent. He continued to carefully watch Ash's behavior until he shut off the screen and began to chuckle uncontrollably.

"Sir, are you okay?" Gold uncomfortably asked.

"I'm more than okay, Gold. In fact I'm excited right now." Dante admitted and then continued to laugh.

Dante's comments confused Gold even more. Dante's laughter made Gold extremely uncomfortable as well-it was the laughter of a mad man.

"Sir, can you explain to me how we are supposed to be feeling excited in a moment like this?" Gold cautiously asked.

"Don't you understand? My plan has worked, in fact it has worked better than I could've imagined." Dante responded.

"I'm sorry sir, but how exactly has your plan worked?" Gold asked.

"Ash's body has been filled with an ambition that embodies the committee's thirst for control. Ash hasn't become obsessed with beating me, he's become obsessed with control. Think about it, he's only touched the surface of life on Maiestas, but his experiences have already led to him wanting more. He's definitely different from the man who came here just a week ago, the pleasure of money, drugs, alcohol, and power has made him into a suitable Pokémon Master. The kind who urges control over those inferior to him. The kind who will help the committee expand our empire throughout galaxy." Dante explained.

"Sir, forgive me for saying this, but I believe your image of Ash may be a bit misguided. To me he doesn't seem obsessed with control, he seems obsessed with simply becoming as strong as possibly can." Gold commented.

"That's is where you are wrong. His spirit may be fueled by his determination to get stronger, but I assure you the ambition he contains doesn't simply rise from the recognition of being the best. He doesn't simply want my position, he wants the perks that come with as well. The legends, the admiration, the control, he wants all of more he sees the relationship power, selfish artifacts, and control I have, the easier it will be use him. That's why with a little more experience in Maiestas and a little more manipulation, we can use the determination he's carrying in a way that benefits the committee. Plus, he'd the perfect person to take the fall should the committee's actions ever be revealed." Dante claimed.

Dante's points did make some sense to Gold, but his mind was still on the elephant in the room.

"Sir, while that sounds great in theory, what about the possibility that Ash simply overthrows you from your position instead of taking orders?" Gold asked.

"Oh, he won't get the chance. Also, trust me when I say that even if he doesn't immediately comply, he will eventually come around." Dante replied.

"How can you be so sure?" Gold anxiously asked.

"It's a secret," Dante admitted. "Now, head over to our space administration and tell them we'll need three rockets suitable for travel by Friday. If they ask why, they them because I said so."

"Yes sir." Gold replied.

With those words Gold left Dante's presences and Dante was left alone, thinking about the near future.

" _Now, more than ever, I need take Malum Stone away from Ash. Without it, I may not be able to control him if he ever does rebel. I best get it sooner than later."_ Dante thought.

Dante took his Poké Ball that contained his Basvixen out and began wiping some dust off of it.

"Soon," Dante said and cleaned the Poké Ball.

* * *

 **(10 hours later)**

Ash had been patiently waiting in his locker room for a while. Thanks to his Pokémon's refusal to listen, he arrived at the stadium nine hours before the match was scheduled. Now, the battle was about to begin and his anticipation could not be greater. He had waited in the locker room for most of the day and couldn't wait to get out on the battlefield and show everyone what he was about. Just then, Ash heard the PA announcer begin to speak.

"Ladies and gentlemen we are glad you could join us for this exhibition match between Pokémon Master Ash Ketchum, and Pokémon Master Julius T. Scott. We now ask the trainers to come out to the battlefield." The announcer said.

Ash jumped on to his feet and ran out to the battlefield. However, his enthusiasm was short lived when his eyes saw over a hundred thousand people seated in a packed stadium and noticed that the majority of the audience on were all wearing black. Soon, those in black began chanting Julius's name as he walked onto the battlefield and Ash was left motionless and speechless.

"You were right Julius, it does give me the chills." Ash commented.

 **So, let's see if Ash can handle the pressure of a primetime showdown. Also, I was wondering what you, the audience thinks of Ash at this point. Is he a dormant tyrant that will impose his control over those inferior like dante says he is? Or is he just really, really competitive? Let me know in the review.**

 **R.I.P Muhammad Ali: One the greatest athletes to ever live.**


	17. Primetime Choke?

**Two weeks I guess is the time span for update. I'll do my best to update faster for sure.**

After a brief moment of observing the atmosphere, Ash kept on moving to the middle of the battlefield. Julius came out of the tunnel with a more professional attitude. His experience was noticeable immediately because unlike Ash, he had confidence practically written on his face. As the crowd chanted his name, Julius raised his arms up, encouraging the crowd to get louder.

"Is this your way of trying rattle me? I have to say I'm a bit disappointed." Ash said trying to keep his nerves calm.

"You're shaking legs would say otherwise." Julius responded.

Before Ash could reply, he noticed his side of the battlefield turn red and Julius' turn black. He then heard the P.A. announcer begin to speak.

"We would like to introduce you to tonight's competitors. On the red half of the field we have Earth's Pokémon Master: Ash Ketchum!" The announcer shouted.

Ash merely stood there as Julius' supporters showered him with boo's. He even saw some people hold up signs that had the phrase 'Bring Gold back!' written in large letters. Although there were a few people in the crowd who cheered and wore shirts that had the words 'Earth pride' written on them, the vast majority of the audience were against Ash.

"On the black half of the field we have planet Ares' Pokémon Master: Julius T. Scott!"

As expected the crowd erupted. The majority of the audience began wave black towels as a signal of their unity. Julius enjoyed every moment of it as well. He leaned forward and put his hand around his ear, encouraging more and more noise. Once the crowd calmed down, the P.A. announcer began to speak again.

"For Ash Ketchum this is his first official battle as a Pokémon Master. For Julius T. Scott this is his fiftieth and he comes in with a record of forty-one wins, and nine losses. The two competitors may now walk over to their ends of the battlefield."

Without saying a word, Ash turned his back and started walking to his end. At this point Ash simply wanted to block out all the noise. More of Julius's trash talk wouldn't help.

As soon as Ash arrived at his position, the battlefield went dark. For a short moment all the lights in the stadium had been turned off. Then, in an instant, the lights were focused on the battlefield and began flashing red. After about three flashes, the lights turned green and a bell was rung, indicating the beginning of the match.

"Alright, Infernape I choose you!" Ash yelled as he released the fire Pokémon onto the battlefield.

"Let's show him how a real master battles, Ultrices!" Julius yelled.

With those words, Julius unleashed what appeared to be a blue sphere. The blue sphere merely hovered above the battlefield however it confused no one except Ash.

"Is this your idea of a joke? If so, then well done. I actually thought you were going send out a real Pokémon." Ash commented.

Julius simply grinned and began to chuckle.

"What's so funny?" Ash asked annoyed by Julius' actions.

Ash's question soon answered itself as he began to notice the blue sphere begin to spark up. The sparks intensified and soon the sphere began to morph into a figure. In a few seconds the sphere's figure began to resemble that of a Phoenix with its body completely made up of blue electricity.

At this point Ash was speechless. Never before had he seen anything remotely close to the scene that was unfolding right before his very eyes. Pikachu was expressing the same about of astonishment from its position on Ash's shoulder. Ash took notice of this and began to pet the rodent in an effort to calm its nerves. Even Infernape couldn't help but tremble a bit out of complete shock.

Once the transformation was complete, Ultrices let out an ear destroying screech. It opened up its wings to display its true form to all in attendance. It appeared to be ten feet tall with a distance of twenty feet from wing to wing.

"Alright Ash, we can start now. So please, make the first move." Julius announced.

It took Ash a few moments to regain his composure. The crowd towel waving and chants didn't make it easier for Ash.

"Make a move!" The crowd simultaneously chanted.

"Alright then, Infernape use Flamethrower!" Ash commanded.

Infernape remained motionless. The fire Pokémon remained in awe of Ultrices' grand entrance.

"Snap out of it Infernape! Flamethrower now!" Ash yelled.

This time Ash's words hit Infernape and he quickly responded with a strong Flamethrower.

"Block it." Julius ordered.

Ultrices quickly crouched down with its wings being used as a shield and easily withstood the attack.

"Maybe we have to get in closer? Use Flare Blitz!" Ash ordered.

Infernape quickly surrounded itself with fire and charged directly towards Ultrices. Instead of changing its position, Ultrices remained in the exact same stance as before. Infernape attacked with the full force, but found itself being violently electrocuted the moment it made contact with Ultrices.

"Infernape shake it off!" Ash commanded.

Infernape tried to shake off the paralysis, but found itself unable to even stand up without falling back down in agonizing pain.

"I guess I should make a move now. Let's start simple with Thunderbolt." Julius ordered.

Ultrices flew up in the air and released a lightning quick blue Thunderbolt from its beak. The attack struck the struggling Infernape at full force and finished the fire Pokémon off with ease.

The official waved his white flag, signaling the round was over.

"Ladies and gentlemen the official has ruled that Infernape is unable to battle. Ultrices wins the round!" The P.A. announcer yelled.

Much to the crowd's delight, the round was won by Julius easily. With chants of Julius' name and constant towel waving the crowd ramped up the pressure on Ash to the point where it was hard to hear himself think.

Ash quickly recalled Infernape and then immediately began covering his ears. He knew the atmosphere was going to be challenging, however this was much more difficult than he imagined.

"Alright, let's turn this thing around. Glalie I choose you!"

With those words Ash sent out his powerful Ice Pokémon. Glalie was caught a bit off guard by the noise of the crowd, but for the most part remained calm and composed.

"Alright, Glalie use Ice Beam on Ultrices' wings!" Ash yelled.

Glalie didn't move however, it didn't even notice Ash's command.

"Ice Beam! Aim for the wings!" Ash yelled louder.

Still Glalie did not respond to the attack. He then looked back at Ash, waiting for his trainer's instructions.

" _He must not be able to hear me. It's turned to bedlam right now and my voice isn't loud enough to reach Glalie whose only about twenty feet away."_ Ash thought.

At that moment Ash saw Julius tap his head twice and his Ultrices quickly react.

Ultrices flew straight up in the air and took a grand nose dive towards Glalie. Glalie, who was still looking back at Ash, was clueless of the fact that he was about to be knocked out.

"Glalie move!" Ash yelled at the absolute top of his lungs.

This time Glalie finally heard Ash's plead, but it was already too late. Ultrices hit Glalie with its full force. A small scale explosion was made upon impact; the crowd went into bedlam. When the dust settled the crowd could see Ultrices towering over a demolished Glalie. The official waved the white flag.

"The official has ruled that Glalie is unable to battle. The winner of this round is Ultrices!" The P.A. announcer said.

There had been no battle to this point. It seemed as if Julius was hardly trying and Ash was mentally incapable of handling the amount of pressure that had been placed on him. Ash was in a situation he was not used to.

"Greninja I choose you!" Ash yelled.

Out came Ash's trusted Kalos Pokémon, ready for battle as always. At this point Ash couldn't care less about type advantage or disadvantage, he just wanted one of his best Pokémon on the battlefield.

Ultrices looked back at Julius and saw his trainer tap his head twice, giving the Pokémon the signal for a Brave Bird attack.

Ultrices quickly covered itself in a blue aura and launched itself towards Greninja.

"Jump over it!" Ash again yelled at the top of his lungs.

Greninja heard his trainer and was easily able to leap over the low altitude attack. That sequence calmed the noise of the crowd for a moment.

"Now Dark Pulse!" Ash yelled a little less loud.

"Brave Bird again!" Julius ordered.

Greninja released a Dark Pulse attack as quick as he could, however Ultrices used its Brave Bird attack to easily power through the Dark Pulse and run over Greninja.

At this sight the crowd once again erupted and even began stomping their feet in unison.

Greninja was able to get back up, but quickly collapsed as the Paralysis from Ultrices' skin kicked in. The official waved the white flag.

"The official has declared that Greninja is unable to battle. Ultrices has won the round. Ladies and gentlemen now that one of the competitors has lost half its Pokémon we will be heading to a fifteen minute break. The competitors may now head to their locker rooms." The P.A. announcer declared.

Ash wasted no time recalling Greninja and heading over to the locker room. He mentally needed a break from the atmosphere. He needed to think of a new strategy. He needed to figure out how to deal with the noise. More than anything however, he just needed to get away.

As soon as he entered the locker room, Ash viciously threw his hat to the ground. Frightening Pikachu, who decided to jump off of Ash's shoulder. Ash then simply sat down one of the benches and covered his face with both hands.

"Looks like you need a pep talk." Ash heard someone say as they walked in.

"Dante?"

 **What will happen next? Why is Dante here? Also will Ash be like the Cavs and make a comeback? Or will Julius do what my Warriors didn't do and close this battle out? Let me know what you think.**


	18. Dante's Words

**It's been two weeks. I think it's time for a chapter doesn't everyone agree.**

"Yes, Ash. It's me." Dante said.

"What are you doing here?" Ash asked.

"I was just watching your battle like everyone else. It seems to me the spotlight may have been a bit too big for you." Dante commented.

Ash didn't reply. He thought back to the all the mental preparation he did to prepare for the battle and soon became frustrated with the idea that it was practically useless.

"You surprised me Ash. I didn't expect myself to be so wrong about you." Dante stated.

"What do you mean by that?" Ash asked.

"Back when you defeated my Idolon, I thought you could be the one. I thought you could be the one who would finally give me a long overdue challenge. Obviously I didn't expect you to become that challenge immediately, but I expected to see the qualities of worthy challenger. I have seen none so far. I've just saw Julius' Ultrices chew your Pokémon up and spit them out without a single action from you. Tell me Ash, have you already given up? Be honest."

Ash took his time answering this question. Usually Ash would be quick to defend himself, but not this time. Dante asked a valid question and Ash actually debated the answer in his head a couple of times. The obvious answer was no, but part of his head told him to look at the reality of the situation. However Ash tried his best to ignore that part of his brain.

"No." Ash answered.

"That took you a long time to answer. Are you sure you're being honest?" Dante skeptically asked.

"Yes. I had to reassure myself a bit, but, believe me when I say I have no intentions of giving up right now." Ash declared.

"Why did you just lie to me Ash? I told you to be honest, yet you continue to lure yourself into a false sense of security even though you know very well you have no chance at winning." Dante replied.

"Who are you to determine what goes on in my head? I think for myself and I don't appreciate people who aren't me telling me what to think and what not to think." Ash angrily said.

"Who am I? I am Dante. I'm the strongest trainer in the universe. I am a man who just saw your lackadaisical performance. I just saw you and your Pokémon get punched in the mouth and not get back up. I'm the man who's offering to help you because I've seen what you're capable of. I'm the man who's going to walk out of this locker room unless you tell me otherwise." Dante announced.

Dante turned his body and started heading towards the exit. Ash only sat there and watched as Dante moved closer and closer to the exit. However a sharp pain began to arise into Ash's body. The pain of his hopes and dreams slipping away. He knew what he had to do.

"Stop, don't go." Ash stated.

"Why should I?" Dante asked.

"Because… I need your help." Ash truthfully replied.

"How so?" Dante asked as he turned around.

"You're right, I can't win this battle. Not only that, I can't land an attack. I can't dodge an attack. I can't respond to adversity. I can't handle the hostile crowd. I'm not ready for this moment. That's why I'm willing to listen now." Ash admitted.

"Ash, you may not have been ready for the moment before, but you are now." Dante claimed.

Ash looked up. Dante's response came as a big surprise.

"Now we don't have much time, but I'll tell you what I can. First, since you have no way of communicating with your Pokémon when the crowd is making noise, I suggest taking the crowd out of the match as fast as possible. So next battle, go on the offensive and show everyone you mean business. Another thing is that you need to understand your opponent's physical traits. Ultrices is an electric hawk with wings that could deflect even the strongest of attacks. That being said it's body and head are rather sensitive. Those two parts are practically the only areas that Ultrices can take any damage. This kind of attention to detail is especially important when battling Julius because his entire team is made up of unique Pokémon who have very strong exteriors. Lastly, and most importantly, you got to leave it all on the battlefield. You can't be afraid to take dangerous risks because there's no way you can win this battle without being reckless. In this league Pokémon are probably going to get injured every now and then, you might as well take your opponent's Pokémon out in the process. I expect the flow of the battle to be faster and out of control. Create chaos and live with the results. If you lose, you lose. Show some dignity and go out with pride." Dante explained.

Not long after Dante concluded his speech, a bell was rung, signaling the end of intermission.

"Don't disappoint me kid. I don't like being wrong." Dante proclaimed.

"I won't. Thanks for the advice." Ash replied.

"One last thing, I need to discuss something else with you after the battle." Dante informed Ash.

"What is it?" Ash asked.

"Nothing I can't tell you later. Win or lose meet me back in here after the match." Dante stated.

With those words Dante exited the locker room. Ash was left a little confused by Dante's last request, but knew he had to get focused up. He looked down at Pikachu and placed him on his shoulders.

"Ready to shut a hundred thousand people up?" Ash asked.

"Pika Pika!" Pikachu answered.

"That's what I like to hear."

Ash quickly headed back to his side of the battlefield. He wasn't going to let the crowd's chants rattle him this time.

Julius came out with his usual business like demeanor. Just one look at the man and anyone with a mind could tell he was more than confident. He had reason to be too, Ash's Pokémon hadn't even touch his Ultrices to this point. He quickly sent out Ultrices again and awaited for Ash to send out his Pokémon.

"Well Pikachu, it's now or never." Ash told his companion.

With those words Pikachu jumped on to the battlefield, more focused than ever before.

The official gave the signal and the match resumed.

"Ash, because I'm so nice, you can make the first move again." Julius announced.

"With pleasure. Pikachu Thunderbolt!" Ash commanded.

Pikachu sent out an unusually powerful in the blink of an eye.

"Ultrices block it!" Julius ordered.

Ultrices was only barely able to put up it's wings in time before the Thunderbolt hit. Even more surprising was the fact that the Thunderbolt actually drove Ultrices back a few feet before the bird was able to deflect it. Ultrices opened its wings only to see Pikachu charging at him with full speed.

"Electro Ball!"

Pikachu launched an abnormally large Electro Ball with lightning quick speed. This time Ultrices could not defend itself on time and the bird received a huge blow to the head. The impact sent Ultrices to the ground right in front of his stunned trainer.

"Ultrices get up and use Brave Bird!" Julius commanded.

"Pikachu Thunder!" Ash ordered.

Ultrices wasted no time getting back up, but was not prepared for the powerful Thunder attack to came it's way. Once again Ultrices was directly hit and Pikachu's attack once again sent Ultrices to the ground.

"How? There's no way Ultrices should taken this much damage from those electric attacks. This is impossible!" Julius yelled.

"Pikachu hit it while it's down with Volt Tackle!" Ash commanded.

The sound of Pikachu coming after Ultrices with another attack was more than enough to trigger an urgent response from Julius.

"Ultrices get up now and fly straight up!" Julius screamed.

Ultrices struggled to get back up, but managed to do so before Pikachu arrived. The bird then flew straight up as fast it could and managed to avoid Pikachu's Volt Tackle.

"Now Electric Slash!" Julius ordered.

Utrices began illuminating electricity all around its body and made one extremely fast dive towards Pikachu. Ash didn't even have enough time to call out a command before Ultrices had sent Pikachu flying across the battlefield.

"Pikachu!" Ash yelled in concern.

Pikachu managed to slowly pick itself up, but it was clear that Pikachu's burst of energy was gone.

"One more should do the trick." Julius announced.

"Pikachu when Ultrices begins to make its dive I want you to anticipate the attack and deliver your strongest Iron Tail." Ash informed Pikachu.

Pikachu prepared his body for perhaps the toughest task ever asked of him. Everyone watched as Ultrices fly straight up into the air again and charge up electricity.

"Now!" Julius yelled.

In an instant Ultrices made its dive and Pikachu prepared its Iron Tail. The impact of the collision between Electric Slash and Iron Tail happened so rapidly that most people missed the impact and only saw the sparks generated from the collision scatter across the stadium.

The speechless crowd was in shock when their eyes saw the aftermath of the collision. Ultrices was down flat on its back and Pikachu was standing right on top of the large bird, displaying its triumph.

 **Here we go, now the battle is really starting. Next chapter won't take so long to arrive, I promise.**


End file.
